Reboot - The Blind Seventh Swordsman
by Alucard1959
Summary: Life took his eyes, but it didn't take his spirit. Ever since that dreadful night 5 years ago, Naruto has faced an uphill battle to clawed his way to the very top. With the help of his teachers, friends, and a powerful tool handed to him from a dying man, Naruto carves his own path with his own way of the ninja. NaruxHarem, strong Naru.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, this is the start of my new reboot of my original story, The Blind Seventh Swordsman. Now, before you read, especially those who were previous fans of my original work, I want to warn you that I have taken some creative liberties to change a few things. Some might not enjoy it or think I should have kept the original concept and just work out the problems but I just believe this would be better. First off, the harem will be cut down to 5. But one of the biggest and possibly the most influential change I made is that Naruto won't be the next Kyuubi incarnate. **

**I know, I know. It might not seem like a reboot if I'm not following the original but, technically, I am. You see, during my young years on I, like many, wanted to think of something cool to add to their story. Soon enough, the story I created was nothing more than a collection of half baked ideas that I didn't think all the way through. **

**Now, that's not saying that I think if you enjoyed my previous story that you are foolish. I love the people that supported me and thought that my idea was worthy of saying it was good. I just believe this way, the original idea I started with, will mesh well and create a much better story.**

**BUT! If you were a fan of the idea and wish to see the Kyuubi incarnate continue, I have been thinking about doing a stand alone story of Naruto becoming the Kyuubi incarnate. Please, hit me up with A PM or through a review if you would like to see it and the more I get, the higher the story goes up on my to do list! **

**Thank you all for supporting my decision and I hope you like it. Also, a special shout out to Lockdown00 and Ryuujin96 for giving me a TON of useful and very well thought out ideas for summoning scrolls, fighting styles, weapons, and so much more for this story. He's a good friend.**

**Prologue: How it all began**

**I own Nothing**

The sun bleeds through the curtains, spilling into someone's humble abode, illuminating the room ever so slightly. One of the hardened beams of the morning light illuminates a particular creature that writhed under his blanket. The creature of unknown origins soon slithers his way from under the comfort and warm embrace his blanket offered and onto the harsh carpeted floor of his apartment. The boy almost hissed at the aspect of having to rise this early in the morning, something most, if not all would do; and to be honest, there would be no way he would be up at this hour, letting the morning fade away like the lazy bastard he is. But, unfortunately for him, there was a knock at his door, a quick rattle of knuckles against the cheap plastic casing the door was made of. The owner of this place was too damn cheap to spring for a good looking door, seeing as it gets broken down a few times a year.

The knock seemed urgent, fearful in fact; continuing over and over again as if he was paid to do this.

"Oi! I'm coming, give it a rest!" The boy hissed, sluggishly rising from his floor and began to slip on his pants, seeing as they once again got kicked off of him last night during one of his midnight, dream filled, stupors. That and the heat in this room; thanks to the poor ventilation and the lack of properly sealed off windows, it made the summer heat 10 times more worse in this sweatbox he called a home.

Quickly slipping on his pants he slinked slowly towards the door, a moan of displeasure slipping past his unmoving lips. As he scratched his scalp with his long nails and took his final few steps towards his door, the man on the other side was losing his mind the longer he had to wait in this hellish place.

He was a scrawny welp with the cooth of a nervous bager and was half as likeable, his knuckles rattling against the door as he head whipped back and forth; his nerves inflamed the more he stood in the red light district. Such a place was almost foreign to the normal's who reside in the better funded side of Konoha. The people here almost seemed to turn into savages, born to be nothing but scavengers that have no problem in pick the bones off of dead corpses with a smile on their blood soaked faces…..or at least, that's what people like to believe.

A competent or a rational person could tell you these are people trying to make it through life with the tools they are given, struggling to keep their own businesses afloat while their customers are driven off by the mere thought of having to be elbow to elbow with the scum of the red light district. Families having to raise their kids with the added stigma of being labeled nothing more than thieves, drug dealers, whores, or murderers; as you can tell, not a very good environment to raise children in.

That's why this pale stick of a man stood at the door of another, his knees clacking together like metallic desk toys and his eyes swiveling back and forth as if he was guilty of some heinous crime. This was the first time he's ever had to deliver a summons to someone in the red light district, and he certainly hoped it would be the last. His trip down these murky roads was enough to send a chill up his spine, and the looks he was given by those who lived here was enough to stop anyone in their tracks. But, being a loyal messenger of the Hokage, he had to carry on, even if he was sweating up enough water to fill a small pool.

Once he arrived at his destination his body locked up and his mouth ran dry as the looming look of the apartment building he stood before was too much of a horrendous sight to see. The bottom rungs of apartments were practically demolished, doors kicked down, windows smashed, and the rooms were either bare of anything like pictures, beds, carpeting, etc. Or, was filled with filthy mattresses and stained walls as it seemed like the room has had his fair share of romance conquests within it's sticky walls.

The second rung wasn't as bad, but that's not saying much. The rung was filled with garbage, not even a single person could push their way through to get to a door so they could rest their heads on one of the beds inside. The hallway was littered with everything from typical bags of garbage to a sickening amount of actual human bodies, using this din of filth and disdain as a place of rest and refuge.

But the final floor, rung three, was the best of them all. Other than some light graffiti, spelling out curses and profanity that would make even the harshest sailor blush, everything seemed alright. The windows were decent but could use a scrubbing or two, the doors were standing up right perfectly, all through the door knobs were not polished to his likings. Everything seemed alright…..except for one.

Apartment C 22, the 22nd door on the row, the door this poor, unfortunate soul landed on. The man checked the address he scribbled on a piece of paper almost 100 times before he nervously settled on following through with his job. The door was littered with graffiti, each square inch was covered in harsh language and statements such as, "The din of a demon" or, "kill him", each one he read made him more and more rattled. What made it even worse was the grunts and the moans that seemed to be rising from behind the door, each second was met with a hard stomp of a foot, each growing louder and louder

And that's where we are now, a scrawny little man, tapping his bony little knuckles against the out of place door as he waits with baited breath to what might be living behind it.

The doorknob twisted open, revealing to the man a simple child, 10 years old at best. The boy was merely skin and bones, sweatpants and a tank top the only thing that hung to his frail body which looked two sizes too big for him. His blonde hair was a long mess of tangles and knots reaching to the small of his back. But, the most interesting difference about this boy was his eyes. The were bandaged, covered in obviously used gooze, keeping his eyes hidden from the messenger or anyone for that matter. Yes, it took the messenger a bit to adjust to the boy's look and attire, taking his sweet time to scan over the boy; which was something Naruto wasn't very keen on.

With a snir and a cough of bile and phlegm, the boy stated, "well? What do you want?" His voice almost as bitter and impatient as a crabby old bird who hates the world. The messenger nearly jumped at the boy's harsh sound, surprised to get this negative and visceral type of tone from such a young child.

I suppose living in such hostile environments truly does corrupt the young, he presumed, fiddling with the so called message he was suppose to deliver. "I-I have a note from the Hokage himself, I was sent to deliver it as soon as possible." He declared, presenting the piece of parchment to the boy with a little flick of the wrist.

They stayed in a awkward silence for quite some time, the messenger waiting for this boy to read the letter directly from the office of the Hokage while the boy stands opposite of him, tapping his bare feet in utter annoyance and contempt to the person standing before him.

"Oi, dumbass," The boy barked, making the messenger jolt a bit from his authoritative voice, "I don't wear these bandages for show. I can't read, you prick!"

"O-Oh, yes. My apologies, sir," The man quivered, taking the paper in both hands and begins to read it out loud, "D-Dear Naruto Uzumaki, I wish to speak with you as soon as possible regarding your application sent in to the Shinobi Academy. Hope you are having a wonderful start to your day and I hope to see you soon. Signed, Lord Hokage himself."

The man read the letter well, adding his own improved inflections, something other less jaded people would find nice or even funny, but, unfortunately, he was dealing with Naruto without his much need 14 hours of sleep. "Thanks for that….ummmm," Naruto waited, hoping the messenger would take the hint and give him his name.

"O-Oh, right. My name is Daichi, I-I'm Lord Hokage's personal messenger." he declared proudly, a light smirk appearing on his features at the "personal" part of his sentence. He seemed to have this aura of smugness waffing around him at this point, almost overjoyed that he was the _only _personal message boy for the Hokage.

"Yes, well, thank you, Daichi." Naruto said rather awkwardly as the messenger stood there in silence for another 5 uncomfortably silent seconds; "tell Jiji I'll be there in a few minutes. I need to brush my teeth, wash up, you know. Get all dolled up for him," Naruto's sarcasm was apparent as he closed the door in the messengers face, leaving Daichi to do whatever the hell he needed to do.

After hearing the disgruntled messenger stumble his way down the flight of stairs, Naruto went back to his usual "early" morning routine; being face first in his favorite pillow, dreaming of a river filled with the broth of his favorite Ramen. Oh how he couldn't wait to get back to his slumber…...but something was nagging in the back of his mind as he prepared to slip off his trousers and dive under his covers. "_Jiji is probably expecting me soon." _ He hummed, tapping his bare feet against the rough, shag carpeting as he scratched the tip of his chin. His eyebrows furrowed in thought as he became more and more irritated at this pesky little niggle banging around his his head. "Fine," Was all he said, sighing reluctantly at his resignation and trotted off towards his bathroom. With a quick flick of his wrist his previous sleepwear was thrown in the general area of his clothes hamper, landing with a familiar "swish" as it usually did. "Bullseye!" Naruto humored, cheering his shot with raised arms and his signature cheeky grin. As he edged his way towards his bathroom, his hands sliding across the wallpaper to give him a sense of where he was in his room, he couldn't help but hear his plumbing.

"That bastard cut off my plumbing again, didn't he?" Naruto bitterly hissed, unable to hear the humming of his hot water heater or the water swishing through the pipes, leaving him without the ability to shower or brush his damn teeth. All he could do was sigh, "Oh well, I guess it's gum and deodorant for me today."

On that note, Naruto walked back to his decrepit dresser and pulled out his usual attire for todays meeting with the Hokage.

He slipped on a black, baggy pair of cargo pants with extra room in his calf reaction, thanks to the tailor three blocks down the way for listening to his very specifics needs. Next was his usual splash of color, a burnt orange tee with a spiral design in the center. After rolling on his favorite scented anti perspirant and popped in a stick of spearmint flavored gum, he opened his door to the morning breeze, a feeling he despised more than anything.

Mornings meant he had to wake up and deal with the everyday troubles of life, his only solace being the people of the red light district. Those people of the financially superior part of Konoha who have to step into this district, they felt unwelcomed, like they were hated or shunned by these damned fools and they would be right. Those people who live in this district have dealt with such horrendous bias and social rejection that those who hold money are unwelcomed here unless they want to buy something, then the prices surprisingly rise to count for inflation.

The people of this district are actually rather sweet and kind, sure they had no problem in breaking a few bones here or there or doing a few things that were frowned upon by the law, but that's what humans do, test the boundaries of the world and do what they must to survive.

Prostitution, gambling, drug dealing, murder, each felony has been done a thousand different times on these streets, and each member of this community has blood on their hands one way or another and you know what? None of them judge the other, they rally around that, they built a code, a report. Nothing leaves this district.

It was a simple place with complex people, something that Naruto truly loved about the district. As he walked through the district streets, taking in the sounds of the stores opening their doors to the waiting public and the smell of freshly cooked food wafting through the air, he couldn't help but remember how much these people have done for him.

They seemed welcoming to the blind child during his stay here. At first the reception he got was mixed, some found it strange for such a fragile boy to be left alone in this grungy place while others saw it as a character builder, toughing up a doughy kid for the harsh world. But their mixed feelings soon changed when Naruto began to help the few stories that took pity on him at the beginning. He would offer his services to help in anyway, whether it was unloading boxes or stocking shelves, he was their go to guy to help out around here.

They wanted to pay him for his troubles but he wouldn't have it, he would always say that them helping him during his time of need was all the payback he needed. It was such a wonderful but odd thing to see. No one should ever be this generous and helpful, but here is a physically blind individual who shows just that and more.

Naruto has had a massive impact on this place and he couldn't see himself living anywhere else but here.

But then there was….the other side. Those who speak ill of the Red light district are the true ones that are blind, they believe that the exterior of a place defies the character it holds, something only fools do. It was clean, pristine, and well kempt, but appearances are only skin deep in this world, and this part of Konoha is far worse than it's exterior pretends to be. One of the many problems with this part is it's people, such foolish people to cast out their own only because they've fallen on hard times. No man, woman, or child weeps for those less fortunate on the district side, they condemn the small, the weak, and those less fortunate.

Even their government smiles down on them while the red side is shadowed over. The Council sees anyone born from this part as nothing but cannon fodder if the make it to the academy and useless little salespeople if they decided to live a humble life as a civilian.

This whole place is a mess, and no one seemed to want to clean it up.

"Welcome to the Hokage Office. Please, sit down and I will be with you momentarily," A chipper tone cut through Naruto's thoughts as he entered into the tower of the Hokage. This voice was none other than the Hokage's secretary, a daft woman who hated Naruto's guts, much like most of the people on this side of Konoha does. But, thanks to a few "anonymous" reports straight to the Hokage himself, she has too keep a tight lid on her lip if she wishes to keep her job.

"Bite the big one," was all Naruto said before walking straight past her and towards the stairs where the Hokage awaits.

"I can't let you do that," His progress was impeded when a woman's hand gripped his forearm tightly. He felt her built up rage, it oozed from her like a black smog, coating Naruto's senses in it's shrode. This was something Naruto felt everyday, "he's in a meeting, you must wait."

"Unless he's in a meeting with himself, he's free." Naruto retorts, stretching his senses towards the top of this mighty tower, reaching the room of his Jiji, and found besides the ANBU that protect him and himself, his room was completely empty. "Now, can you let go of my arm, your perfume is pungent and I don't want it to rub off."

"Why you-" She hissed, only to find the boy's mocking finger in her face, swaying back and forth as he sucks on his teeth like a disapproving teacher.

"Temper, temper." Naruto cooed wickedly, he might sound like an ass but it is only fitting to act like an ass in front of an ass. Besides, when is he ever going to have this chance again, to show her that he was no pushover, not like he was years ago. "Now, my arm, may I have it back?"

She released Naruto's arm, no sooner too, as the Hokage himself descended on high; turning the corner to meet face to face with his secretary as her aura shriveled at his arrival. "I hope I wasn't interrupting something." His old yet firm tone could send shivers down the most veteran of warrior's spine. He may looked old in his present form but this was once and still is a Shinobi God, a man who would dwarf even the strongest of fighters; he has no equal.

"Lord H-Hokage, I-I didn't….It was all a-" She couldn't finish as Naruto's voice cut through hers, getting the attention of the Hokage.

"It was nothing, Jiji-san. It was just a…..misunderstanding," He hummed, "let's get going, I want to get back to my dream. I want my Ramen River back." Naruto's humor cut through the deadly tension in the room, allowing the young secretary a breather as she watches her Lord's gaze leave her.

"I'm pleasantly surprised, Naruto-kun, you actually spared her. I could have fired her on the spot for infringing on my orders," The Hokage chuckled, walking side by side with his young godson, a kind hand resting on the boy's shoulder as they reached the top. "Have you started to go soft on me, Naruto my boy?"

"Not on your life," Naruto chuckled, his hand tracing the spiral walls, "I just knew if I got her fired she'd probably try to burn my house down and this time she won't have a job keeping her from doing that."

"Her attitude towards you aside, I still must apologise for it and for interrupting your beauty sleep," Sarutobi said, baiting the boy as he usually would. He enjoyed his time with the young man, he had an acute knowledge of the world that would take years to understand. There are times that your eyes block knowledge, the boy always quoted. He even went so far as to say he wasn't the one who was blind, those who believe themselves to be normal were.

"If I slept this long to make myself beautiful I would be drop dead gorgeous, old man," He said, humoring the aging leader. He was lucky to have the bond he has with this man, a lesser man in the eyes of the Hokage would have been tossed from his window the moment he mentions his age. "I do it recreationally, a pass time to pass my time. If you catch my meaning. But anyway, I'm surprised you dusted off your ol' messenger boy, usually you would send an ANBU. What's the occasion?"

"The occasion is a lack of ANBU's and a busy schedule." Sarutobi said, taking in a harsh sip of air as he feels his lungs start to weaken. Years of smoking those pipes would do that to a man -years in general would too- he might want to see if it would be possible to work an elevator into this damnable building. "Many of the off the clock ANBU's have been reassigned to different top secret missions, while the few that stayed behind couldn't leave their posts. I apologize if Daichi was a bit off. He's new."

"Quiet apologizing, you're the Hokage." Naruto stated with a smirk, the old man was always . "What happened to Hitachi?"

"He quiet, he felt unappreciated. Seeing as his job could be done quicker and more efficiently with simple ANBU's." Sarutobi retorted.

"I can't say I blame him" Naruto nodded his head to Sarutobi's statement. If your job can be done better without you, why stay? Besides, most messengers were paid by the delievery -a shitty way to make a living, I'm sure-. "Hitachi wasn't a bad guy though, hate to see him go."

"Yes, very true, but, unfortunately, I did not ask you to come at this time just for small talk," Sarutobi said, finally arriving at his office as he walks behind his desk which was now covered in three stacks of papers, each respectfully huge in stature. "If my messenger did what he was instructed to do, you should know what this is about, Naruto-kun."

"Right to the point, huh, Jiji?" Naruto asked, tapping his foot to the floorboards to reveal his surroundings. Once he found what he was looking for, he took up refuge on his favorite couch, plopping his scrawny little hide on the leathery texture of this fine couch. "But yeah, he gave me the jest. Something's wrong with my application to the Ninja Academy, right?"

"...Yes, your application was brought to the attention of the Academy's registration board," Hiruzen's tone soon turned sour, a mournful, almost hesitant tone reached his voice as his aura started to grow cold. "They…..declined you again, they feel that it would be….unfair to you and the other students. You would fall behind because of your condition, meaning they would have to change the curriculum to make sure you could keep up."

"Damnit! That's the fifth one this month!" Naruto yelled, kicking the coffee table in front of him, knocking over the objects that rested neatly on the surface. How much does Naruto have to fight to make sure he has a spot in this years roster of Academy students? He dreams of becoming a shinobi, to show those that he isn't was a casualty, a helpless boy who needed those around him to take pity on him. "Just because I can't see doesn't make me useless. I still have ears, I can listen. My minds like a steel trap! These pricks think I'm weak, just another handicap!...Hey, Jiji. You're the Hokage, you can just order them to take me, right? It can be an early birthday present!"

Ericka! Who could say no to the word of the Hokage? No one, that's who. The registration board couldn't deny a hand written appeal from the leader of Konoha, Naruto would be rubbing elbows with the others, ready to work his ass off to graduate with his class…..unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

"Naruto, I can't do that," he sighed, tapping a bony finger on his wooden desk. "I can't meddle with the registration board. They have the right to decline whoever they wish and if I used my powers to change their minds, I would be disrupting the balance between my jurisdiction and theirs."

"What about that kid last year, they said he couldn't use chakra. Lee, was it?" Naruto retorted without delay, quick on the draw. "Word through the grapevines is that he's still in the Academy. Why can't I?"

"Your conditions different, It's one thing to be unable to use chakra it's another…." Hiruzen stopped, his face twisting at the implications. He knew what Naruto was going to say, he could feel it. This was an all too often occurrence for Naruto in his young life.

"To be blind?" Naruto asked, his tone bitter like venom, "is that what you were going to say? Being blind?"

"...Lee has a sensei, a person who helps him outside of class. That gave the board assurance that they could keep their already set curriculum while also being fair to him and the other students." Sarutobi defended, trying to keep Naruto's wrath quelled for now. Naruto had a nasty temper when it came to his sight, as most would if they've dealt with it for 5 whole years. He felt like this was something everyone saw as a weakness, like it demined him somehow, made him feel like less of a human being. that coupled with the fact that he's been called a demon most of his life it didn't sit well with him when someone used either of those as an excuse to punish him.

"Then let me have a tutor, allow me to have the same chance Lee did and I won't disappoint, I promise. I never go back on my promise," Naruto started to sound desperate, this was his last chance. Registration ended in three days and if he couldn't change their minds by then he will be stuck for another 4 years, forced to watch as another generation of shinobi's pass him by while he has to sit on the sidelines.

"With your condition, it would take more than one tutor to keep you on par with the others. We are talking about learning taijutsu, ninjutsu, and the complete history of the Shinobi world, that's not something we can work around so easily. I'm sorry Naruto, but-" Sarutobi couldn't finish, as the bubbling rage that he tried to keep in check bubbled over.

"I am not some invalid bastard that needs to be handled with care, old man and you know it!" He barked, slamming a fist on the oak table. "My senses have no equal, my mind remembers everything, I'm the hardest worker you have ever seen, and I won't let you or that fucking board pretend like I'm some burden…...please Jiji, just give me a damn chance and I will show you that I can do this. Just one chance!" Naruto's shift was drastic, one minute he's barging around the room, his bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor, and putting everyone in the room -from the Hokage to the ANBU's- on edge.

The next he was standing before the Hokage's desk, his head dangling in desperation as he pleads for his godfather to give him one, just one single opportunity to prove to himself and to the world that he could do this. "I'm blind, yes. We are all aware of that. But does that make me such a liability? Is that what people see when I walk down these halls, a feeble little blind kid? A useless burden? A charity case? Well, at least maybe half of the people think that. The other's see a monster, right?"

The room fell quiet as Naruto waited for his Jiji to say something, hoping to get some reaction from him to know that what he said got through to him. The old man's heartbeat was a good sign that maybe something he said had struck a cord. It beat against his ribcage like a prize fighter, ramping up the more Naruto went at him with the truth, he knew he was getting flustered and he felt very guilty for the boy's predicament. "Naruto…..*sigh* look, I'll look into finding you a few tutors. But don't-" Naruto couldn't hold back his excitement. He jumped at his Jiji with the force of a rocket, scattering the stacks of paper to the floor as he hugged the aging man with all the force he could muster.

"Thank you, thank you Jiji! I promise I will give the Academy my very all. 4 years from now you will see just what I can do." His Jiji's enjoyment wasn't as grand as Naruto's. For one, his organized paper work was now scattered to the wind, each individually laid paper now falling like freshly falling snow and two being that his godson was a bit too energetic for something that wasn't set in stone.

"Now Naruto, I can't guarantee that these tutors will take you. I will be assembling a few of my most trusted shinobi and if they agree then I will send a rebuttal to the board's denial. But if they decide against it, then I'm afraid that you will have to wait for the next term. Are we clear?" He was joyous to see a shift in Naruto's mood and to witness him let loose and release his inner child but he wasn't going to sugar coat something like this to him. He needed to know that their is a real chance of him having to wait 4 more years before he could re-apply.

Quickly hopping from his godfather's lap he adjusted his shirt and dust himself off, trying to regain the usual Naruto attitude. Only a few have ever seen Naruto act his age, Sarutobi being one, the other this interesting ANBU that helped escape a mob, they stayed up all night playing hide-and-seek in the woods. He allowed himself to act a little different around those two but he didn't want it to become a habit, a true man shows his true side with those he trusts. At least that's something he's picked up during his off hours helping a local butcher in the red light district.

"Yeah, I know but a little bit of optimism and forward thinking can't hurt, right Jiji?" Naruto said, a small chuckle escaping him as he couldn't help but wonder where such a stupid idea like that came from. Of course it wouldn't, the world doesn't run on hopes and dreams, but even a cynic prays once in their life. "But yea, I gotcha Jiji, I gotcha. Do you need help with your papers?"

"No Naruto, it's quite alright," Sarutobi lied, saddened at the scattered papers that took him all morning to prepare in the assigned stake, but there was no reason to cry over spilt milk….but that doesn't stop it from being anything other than sad to him. "Now run along, I know you would love to be back under your covers, having sweet dreams of your Ramen River."

The boy quickly took his opportunity to leave the office before Sarutobi changed his mind on needing a helping hand, that and the tension in the room was making him feel…..weird. As the boy left, Sarutobi's amused smirk flattened into a hardened line. Was this the right thing for Naruto? He thought, rolling his pipe between his digits as he lit it with a snap of his thumb and birdy. His eyes have seen many things in his long history as a Shinobi, he's seen amputees find new life with puppet prosthetics, he's seen those who've lost an eye still be a strong ally in a coming battle, but a blind ninja…..that was something no one has ever seen. "I wish you luck Naruto, you will need it in your endeavours in whichever avenue you take in life."

The aura of Naruto was nothing compared to the smile that graced his face, he couldn't wipe it off, nothing could. If only he knew of the eyes that stared upon his sauntering form, a pair of golden ones while the others were beady and black like his heart. The two sported the same matching attire, a ink black cloak that shrouded them in mystery with red clouds outlined in white dotting the fabric. The first was a odd fellow with what looked like a venus fly trap nuzzling his head within it while his head was split down the middle with it's color pallet. One was pale white, that one held a golden eye while the other black half held the other, his shaggy short green hair topped off this freak-show of a person.

His allied partner was a fresh new member to their little organization. Freshly pulled not 5 months ago, this beady eyed mad-man had a blue hue to his skin tone while gills rested on his neck, and his teeth were bared towards their target, pointed and razor sharp like a sharks.

"So, this is the Nine-tails, hmmmm?" The blue skinned newcomer asked, eyeing up his prey with an animalistic stare.

"Our reports say **his name is **Naruto Uzumaki," The plant being said, phasing a little bit more from his congealed spot in a tree.

"Well, might as well bag'em and tag'em, save us more trouble down the line, what do ya say, Zetsu?" The man asked, reaching for a bandaged surprise that rested on his back, this surprise hungry for it's new prize.

"But **our orders were **to survey and **analyze, we don't **engage the target **Kisame!" **The being now named Zetsu argued, reaching his blackened arm out and grabbing the fool by his cloak, keeping the bloodthirsty butcher at bay for the moment. "**You won't **make it out **alive if you **attack him while **he's inside the **village."

"He's a shrimp, I can take him. It will save us a lot of grief if we get'em while he's nice and defenseless." Kisame retorted, swiping the plant beast's hand off his new threads as he scans the area for his pray once more, finding the little brat rushing towards a distant forest. "And besides, he's blind as a bat, it should be a piece of cake. Samehada has been looking' for a good tasty foe and a Jinchuuriki will fill her up just right." Before Zetsu could argue any longer, the shark like creature exploded into a hail of water and precipitation, a water clone as usual.

"**Should we stop him?" **the warring voice soon gave way to one as the darker side of Zetsu, both physically and metaphorically began to speak it's mind. "**Our leader will not be pleased if his orders are disobeyed. This might ruin our plan." **

"Hmmmmmmmm…..no, let the foolhardy shark rush in," the lighter side now had it's say, a smirk appearing on the two halves face as he watched the fool dart towards his destination. "If he succeeds, we will be one step closer to our goals and if he fails we will not be held responsible. We might even get a better member to take his place, one that doesn't smell like salt water and dead fish."

**Thank you all for reading this and I am truly sorry for the delay of this reboot or of any other chapters I do for this story. I am so glad that their were so many people who were supportive of this reboot and I really hope you all enjoy this new twist on my older story. One more shout out to Lockdown00 and Ryuujin96, you guys really helped me out. Thank you. **

**And as always, please review and PM me if you have any questions. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Naruto's Survival Guide**

**I own Nothing**

"_I almost feel bad for the kid, he can't even see what's about to hit'em," _Samehada flared up at her master's thought, his eyes glaring at the blind jinchuuriki. Perched high in the canopy of this mighty tree, the shark-like creature who goes by the name of Kisame peers at the boy, ready for his opening. But why wait? A blind boy can't see you coming, nor will he see what is about to befall him. He needed to wait, the boy was to close to the forest's edge, might alert attention if he just jumped down and started swinging. Wait until the boy got deeper into the woods or until he's sure he could finish this in one quick attack, if he doesn't he'll have a whole village on him like a bad smell. Besides, he needed him out cold for the trip ahead to the boy's grave, so to speak.

He was to bring him back, alive and Bijuu intact, a feat much easier said than done. Kisame must drag the unconscious child through the muck and the briers, back from whence he came. A cave on the outskirts of nowhere, that is where the boy's death will be held.

He's seen it happen at least twice now, the extraction of a Bijuu is an odd thing to see. Kisame thought he had seen every gruesome way to die, but this one was at least in his top 10. Now, his boss might throw a fit because Kisame went directly against his orders, but sometimes it's best to beg for forgiveness than to ask permission.

But his mind was wandering, and he needed to stay focus. So much to do, so little time and his target was on the move. He ducked and dived through the trees with precise movements, without a single wasted step. Kisame had to say, for a blind kid, he was pretty damn good at moving. "_I'm impressed. A blind kid with moves. I might actually find some fun in this after all." _

"_Okay, he's still following me. Just great!" _Naruto sighed, rushing through his playground like a madman, hoping to shake this rather annoying tail. At first, he thought it might be one of Sarutobi's men, he always liked to keep a physical eye on the boy if he so happened to "hurt" himself. But the strong odor of blood and fish was pointing to an unknown party, one that has his eyes on the price.

He felt the man's presence 5 minutes after he entered the forest, trying to find a quiet place to work on his own version of target practice. Using the vibrations his feet projected every step to determine where the target was and so on. It is very complex, something that even Naruto sometimes has trouble explaining, and yet he still does it without fail.

Then, this beating heart entered his domain, a fast pace one at that. The sound was easy to track just as smell are, so many people forget that. A heart always beats, no matter what, and that's all Naruto needs to get a lock on someone. He's been watching the boy now for 10 minutes as Naruto continued on his routine, making sure this intruder suspected nothing. After some time, Naruto decided to do the only thing he could do. Head deeper in the woods and lose him there.

The man followed with quick feet, taking the higher ground helped him keep track of where the boy was going. Each quick turn, each fake out, and each twist was seen easily from that height, leaving Naruto will little to do. Starting to feel a bit worried about this man following him, he ducks behind a tree, finding comfort between the visible roots that stuck up from the dirt.

Keeping his mouth covered, silencing his heavy breath and nervous titter, he heard the solid drop of his assailant mere feet from his hiding spot. He slipped deeper into the roots that kept him from sight, his hand tightening against his mouth, fearful of who this might be. The smell of blood grew more potent and the footsteps louder, a smirk accompanied this man's smell.

"Well, here I thought I was quite the stealthy Shinobi. But, apparently, I was found out by a little squirt." The voice spoke, his joking tone aside, it sent a shiver through Naruto's spine. This voice, it was definitely foreign to him. He would remember such a voice, a sicking tone was carried through his words every time he spoke. "I think I'll just leave this little detail from my report. I have a reputation to uphold, you know?"

the forest grew silent, the only thing that could be heard was the slow, methodical steps one after another from this mystery man inching closer to the roots. Soon, the footsteps stopped, the man was right above the boy. His jagged, shark-like teeth were bared, smiling at the boy's position. "You look comfy in there. Am I disturbing you or something? I can always come back."

"Fuck you!" Naruto barked, slipping past the shark's legs, prepared to make a mad dash towards Konoha. Kisame only snickered at the boy's feeble attempt at retreating. He effortlessly grabbed the boy's collar, plucked him from the ground, and chucked him against the roots he hid in, smashing through them with a hard thud.

"Now is that any way to talk to your elders?" He chuckled, stomping harshly on the boy's ankle, pinning him to the spot. "Now hold still, kid. We got a long trip ahead of us and I don't need you kicking and squirming the whole way there. If you play nice, we'll stop and get ice cream."

"I-I'm not….going anywhere with you." Naruto murmured, the wind clearly knocked from him. Those roots were nothing to sneeze at and Naruto was just used as a human wrecking ball, so you could imagine it left him pretty dazed.

"Oh, I wasn't asking. I'm telling," Kisame chuckled, picking the boy up by his collar, staring him down with his beady, veiny eyes. The man wasn't messing around, and, by the way, his chakra felt, Naruto knew he had massive chakra reserves. This wasn't a run of the mill civilian or a chunin looking to finish with the Fourth started, this was a serious man with a dangerous plan.

So what could he do? No one knew he was here and no one would be looking for him. "_Well, best do what I always do." _Naruto thought, almost bringing a smile to his face. A blue nose met with one of the hardest skull known to mankind as Naruto reared back and cracked the distracted shark square center in his nose, breaking it with a sickening crunch.

Instinctively, Kisame dropped the boy in favor of nursing his now broken nose. "You bastard!" He yelled, the blood pooling into his palms, "that was my nose! I think you broke it!"

"That was the idea," Naruto chuckled weakly, raising slowly to his feet. Taking his opportunity when it presents itself, Naruto ran from his pursuer, pushing his bruised body to the best of it's abilities.

"That's it! No more Mr. Nice Guy. I'm gonna gut you like a trout and let the Akatsuki figure out how to put you back together!" He yelled as he violently swings his sword, chopping through these trees like butter. This boy will soon learn that you never piss off the shark. Kisame took chase after the boy, keeping even pace with him as he chops through the trees like a lumberjack, making sure the boy had nowhere to hide. Naruto was getting antsy, this wasn't going to end well if he let up for even a second and he could feel his legs getting tired. His cuts from early were burning and the splinters lodged in his skin were wiggling, causing even more discomfort. But, in all honesty, that should be the least of his worries. "Times up kid, I'm done playing!"

Naruto's legs were cut from underneath him, dropping him to the dirt so he could slide his face against the ground. He was a few feet from the outline of this forest, he could feel the sun peeking through the thick trees and their canopy. If he could just reach a bit more. A harsh kick pulled him from his thoughts, sending him bashing against an adjacent tree trunk, silencing his thoughts for the moment. Naruto now lied there, unconscious, his body limp to the world as a smirking, sharp toothed freak stood over him.

**Hokage's office: **

"I'm glad you three could make it today. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, seeing as you three had other…..more pressing matters to attend to." Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a solemn look as the three before him stared back at him with mixed reactions.

"I had to cancel a date with Kurenai-chan, dad! Please, tell me this is something of the utmost of importance." Two harsh streams of smoke shot from this man's nostrils, showing his contained rage.

"I wasn't able to do my usual 2,000, one handed push-ups today. But not to worry, Lord Hokage, I'll just have to walk around Konoha on my hands within four minutes tomorrow to make up for lost time! Thank you! YOSH!" Another, far more energetic voice spoke, his smile almost gleaming in the sunlight. His enthusiasm was infectious, an infection many would hate to have, especially if it came with that terrible green one piece he's wearing.

"Today was my day off, so, I didn't have much to do." The last of the group spoke, a sigh escaping his covered lips as he turns his attention back to his famed book nestled in his hand. These were the three men that came to mind when Sarutobi thought of good teachers for Naruto Uzumaki. Three who were tough, strong, and loyal to a fault, these three would be perfect for him.

"It is Asuma, it is. You three are here because I have a huge favor to ask of all of you." Sarutobi said, catching their attention. "But before I ask, I must know. Do you three know of Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Of course, you speak of him almost everyday, father." Asuma said, nodding his head for confirmation. "He's a loudmouth, but has a good heart. Those are you exact words, right?"

"I watched over him a few times in my ANBU days." Kakashi said, peering over the edge of his smut book. His interesting was peeked the moment he heard the blond's name. Any person that was ever on the ANBU payroll during Naruto's 10 years on this earth has at least heard of him and Kakashi is probably the most well versed in the boy's actions, personality, and patterns. "Good kid, does what it takes to get by."

"No I have not, but he sounds like a youthful kid, just like Lee. Even his name screams youth! Naruto Uzumaki!" Gai yelled at the top of his lungs. No matter how early in the morning it was, no matter who he spoke to, Mighty Gai will expel his youthful ways to any and everyone. Such a display would annoy any normal man or woman but Asuma, Kakashi, and Sarutobi have gotten use to his antics, along with the rest of their graduating class.

"Yes, well, he's a special child, one in which I've grown quite fond of." Sarutobi explained to Gai, seeing as he's the only person who seems to be in the dark about the boy. "Like many kids his age, he wishes to join the Academy but he is being prevented by a…..handicap of his. A rather glaring one at that and the Academy board won't allow him to join."

"What is his handicap, Lord Hokage?" Gai wondered, cocking one of his massively bushy brows.

"He's blind, Gai." Kakashi said rather curtly. Beating around the bush has never been his strong suit.

"Oh….well still, I don't believe in handicaps! No matter what, anyone can become a strong shinobi if they're willing to work hard enough!" Gai stated proudly, knowing first hand how it feels to have something you can't control hold you back. But by watching Lee grow in strength simply with his will and determination backing him showed him even more than nothing can't be accomplished with a little hard work, sweat, and youth.

"Very true, Gai. That's why I wanted you to be one of Naruto's mentors." Sarutobi said kindly.

"Mentors?" Asuma questioned.

"Yes, since Naruto has such a glaring handicap the Academy believes he would fall behind the other students." Sarutobi explained, getting a knowing nod from Kakashi. He feared something like this would happen. "So, if he has mentors outside of school, he could be trained and brought to the level of his fellow students without the Academy lowering their curricular standards."

"When did they start requiring mentors?" Asuma wondered. Back when he was just a Academy runt, running around thinking he was hot shit for knowing a jutsu or two, if you couldn't make it as a ninja you were out. No amount of mentors or outside training would change the board's mind. Maybe things are getting softer, but he couldn't blame them, really. His youth was racked with wartime, there was no room for weaklings on the front line. Now a days it feels like many don't take being a proper shinobi and kunoichi seriously, finding it more as a title than a responsibility.

"Since last year, when Lee was introduced into their roster." Mighty Gai explained, frowning slightly at the thought of someone just like Lee being cast out of the Academy for something he couldn't control. "It insures that they wouldn't have to dumb down their curriculum more than they already have to help wayward children."

"Okay, and you picked three mentors because?" Asuma asked again, filled with questions that needed to be answered before he took on anything.

"Naruto will need more help than ever in the coming years. A shinobi who cannot see through traditional means is unheard of." Sarutobi sighed at the truth his statement carried. "But, if he's given help by professionals who could devote their time and effort, then I think he could grow to be one of the best shinobis of the coming generation. So, I'm asking you, as a favor to you Hokage, would you consider tutoring Naruto through the art of the ninja for the foreseeable future. At least until he graduates."

"Okay, and what about missions? We're still registered shinobi and we cannot shirk our responsibilities as Jounin." Asuma asked. He seemed to be the only one truly interested in asking any questions. Gai he could understand, he's always been a simple kind of guy, an explanation would probably be wasted on him. Kakashi on the other hand. that's surprising.

"That's the beauty of having three teachers. If one or two are pulled off to do a mission, then the others can take your place." Sarutobi explained. His son's stopped soon after and an air of silence washed over the group, each one taking in consideration everything they've been told so far.

"I'm in," Kakashi said, shocking all in attendance. He closed his book and let out a sigh before smiling in his leader's direction. "I have nothing better to do, and besides, I've always found the kid to be good company. Who knows, I might even like it."

Shocked at Kakashi's agreement, Asuma was next to speak."*Sigh* I suppose, seeing as you're the one asking, father." Asuma mumbled, scratching the back of his shaggy head. "But he better be prepared to train his ass off. I don't like slackers." Unaware of the irony of his statement.

"And you Gai? Will you help as well?" Sarutobi questioned, seeing how uncharacteristically silent Gai was. He would have probably been the first to speak out about this, but surprisingly he was deep in thought, his eyes closed to the world as he thought, his chin gripped between his thumb and forefinger.

"As much as I would love to take this opportunity to beat Kakashi in another field such as this. I must request something before I do." Gai said rather composed and reserved for a man of his…...youthfulness.

"Of course, Gai." Said Sarutobi.

"I wish to see this boy before I make my final decision! I want to see if his flames burn as bright as Lees! If so, I will have no problem in training both." Stated Gai dramatically, striking a victorious pose before his fellow shinobi.

"And if he doesn't meet your expectations?" Questioned Asuma, actually curious as to what Gai was going to say next.

"Then I cannot, in good faith, take him under my wing." Gai said with a more somber but still booming tone. "Lee and I, as a team, put in 120% effort into everything we do and I couldn't allow a student of mine to give anything less!"

Before the group could speak any longer than they already have, a Chunin busted through the Hokage's door, panting and covered and slashes. "Lord Hokage! Lord Hokage! We have a problem."

"What's going on? What happened?" Sarutobi questioned, standing from his seat in shock.

"A man, I don't know how he got in, but he did. Snuck in without a trace. He caused a lot of ruckus in the Forest of Death, we went to go check it out…...I-I was the only one that survived." The man stammered, shaking with fear and regret. "I-I ducked behind a tree when I saw my friends get cut down like they were nothing. He had blue skin, gills on the side of his face, teeth like sharks, and this massive sword! W-We did all we could to stop him….they did all they could to stop him…..but he left with him."

"Him? Who are you talking about, kid?" Asuma asked, trying to make sense of who this person could be.

"I-I don't know his name, but I've seen him around town!" The boy hissed instinctively. All these questions added on to the fact he lost his friend, he was getting confused. "The blind kid, the one the villagers hate! N-Nami? No, Nick? NO!"

"Naruto?" Sarutobi rushed to the side of the boy, grabbing him by his shoulders. "Do you mean Naruto Uzumaki? Someone has taken Naruto Uzumaki?!"

"Y-Yeah, that name rings a bell." The Chunin nodded, "I think I saw him head east about 45 minutes ago. I-I'm sorry Lord Hokage, we failed you."

"No, you didn't and now's not the time to feel sorry for yourself. Now is the time for action," The Hokage said kindly, patting the boy on the shoulder to relieve him of some of this guilt he felt. "Now, if we work fast we can track this man down quickly and get Naruto back before he crosses our borders. I'll need you three to scout ahead and I'll send back-up soon after."

"Hai, Lord Hokage. We won't fail you." Kakashi nodded, and like that, the group speed out in search for the boy and the land shark that took him.

**A mile out: **

"Now, where the hell did Zetsu say the base was?" Kisame now stood still, a boy's unconscious body flung across his shoulder, scratching his head in frustration. "Ah! That's what I get for being spontaneous. A whole town is gonna be on my ass and I'm here playing guess the road!" He hissed once more when he feels the vermin draped across his shoulder began to wiggle. "How many times do I have to hit you 'til you get the message kid?! You ain't going anywhere, so just lay there and relax. At least one of us can!"

His banter was soon cut short when a figure appeared from the either, rising from the ground like a weed which needed to be cut.

"Kisame, you've caused **a lot of **commotion in Konoha." Zetsu said, appearing before the tailless tailed beast with a frown etched on his bi-colored face. "**Much **_**unneeded **_**commotion**, our boss is **not pleased with **your actions."

"Well, if you would be so kind as to give me directions to our base we can put this commotion behind us. It seems as though I've forgotten the directions to the base, being the new guy does that to a person." Kisame smiled, "and besides, I think the boss is going to be quite pleased to see what I got for him."

Zetsu wasn't amused. "You **should have listened **to me, Kisame. **Now, I can't **help you." Kisame's smile withered at this new piece of information.

"What are you saying?" Kisame questioned curtly, gripping the handle of his greatsword.

"Your **services will no **longer be needed. **Our leader has **no need of **you any more,**" Zetsu hummed without a care in the world. He felt nothing for this shark, another member picked up by his master, nothing more, nothing less. Now, they just needed to find another pawn to fit his spot.

"Oh, really? Well, I would prefer hearing this from the bastard firing me. Not some half baked fly trap." Kisame ordered, pissed and naturally so. To be cut out of the fold already, after he risked his ass to get this boy for them. They might as well spit in his face while they're at it. "Does your glorious leader not have the stones to do it himself, he has to send his glorified house plant to do it for him? Maybe it's good I'm being let go. Being lead by a pancy isn't my style."

"There is no **reason for name** calling, Kisame-san. We **can be civil** about this." Zetsu hummed, smirking at the man's irritation.

"Civil my ass! I want an explanation, and you better make it fast before I rip you to shreds!" Kisame barked, ready to feed Samehada with the chakra of this freak of nature. How dare they! He's been with them for only a month and now they're tossing him out to the wolves once he's given them one of their precious Jinchuuriki's on a silver platter! He wanted some answers and he will get them or he will gouge them out of this freaks ass.

"We've **barely gotten off **the ground yet **as a formidable** force and you've **already jeopardized our **_secret _organization by **creating havoc in **one of the **major hidden villages**. We can't risk **being tied to this**." He said rather curtly, seeing the harsh glare that came from his explanation. "So, we are **cutting you loose**, so to speak."

"And what happens if I just decided to tell them I was just following orders? Hmmmm?" Kisame hummed, "I can rat you bastards out and have Konoha's forces knocking at your door in an instant." He stated firmly, but deep down he was bluffing. Even though his term as an Akatsuki member was rather short, he wasn't stupid enough to actually go against him. They have power beyond anything he's seen, especially the group's leader. But, in moments of irrational rage and the like, you say things; foolish things.

"**But you won't**, will you? Our **leader is no **stranger to destroying **villages, nor is** he a stranger **to finding those** who betray his **trust and making** them regret that **very decision**." Zetsu's usual calm, almost joyful tone was replaced with a much more darker hint. If Kisame didn't know better, he'd actually think Zetsu was scary and not the coward that he truly is. "**But **we do appreciate **your final contribution** though. I know **this is hard **on you, but **I'm still glad** to see you're **donating to our** cause." The plant like being reached out towards the unconscious Jinchuuriki who was ripe for the picking, only to be greeted with a scaled weapon inches from his bi-colored face.

"Touch him, you lose a hand. Got me?" Kisame's snarled, backing the bastard away from his prize catch. "I think I'll keep him, you know, as a little severance package. And speaking of severance, I'm going to sever your black side from your white, you ass kissing messenger boy!" He swings quickly, smashing through the ground he thought Zetsu was, but sadly, Zetsu was no where to be found.

"Have you **never heard of** the saying, 'don't **shoot the messenger**?'" Zetsu said, smirking all the while, taunting him with his sickening grin. "I'm sorry things **didn't turn out **as well as **you hoped. But** the Akatsuki are **looking for more**…..discreet members. Ones **that keep themselves** hidden and follow **orders**."

"Yes, well I've never been really good at following orders. I'm not what you would call a team player." Kisame said bitterly, watching the plant like creature sink once again through the solid earth only to appear within the trees.

"**Then can** we put all **this negativity behind** us?" He asked, joking at the sharks expense once more. This creature didn't seem to know not to poke a erked bear, let alone a shark.

"Yes, right after I rip your bones out of your body!" Kimame lunged at the tree, cleaving the trunk in two, sending the towering oak crashing to the road before them. Kisame went to search for the body of his once former partner but found nothing but broken limbs and leaves littered everywhere.

"Oh! Scary!" A voice called out to him. He turned to find the man now fazed through the floor once more but only his head was seen."**I gotta go**, bye bye, Fish **cakes**!" And just like that, he slipped away, leaving Kisame to wallow in his rage filled stupor.

"Who are you calling fish cakes!?" He yelled, crushing the ground the being once inhabited. He knew he was gone, that bastard always had a way with slipping away, unharmed. But still, he needed something good and solid to hit and the ground where the creature left him was the perfect spot.

"Who's he talking to?" A newcomer commented, catching Kisame's attention. Maybe it was something he could unleash his tension on. He turned only to be greeted with three very high level Jounins. "_Oh, great. I don't have time for this." _He thought, feeling a bead of sweat form on his brow. He might be strong but three of these guys could be trouble.

"I don't know, but I think we've found our guy." Asuma announced, flicking his cigarette to the wind and produced his twin knuckle blades. "The kid wasn't joking. Blue skin, gills, shark teeth, he's even got a massive sword. He fits our bill."

"Yes, a new challenger stands in the way of the Mighty Gai! Reveal yourself stranger, I wish to know the name of my new opponent." Gai yelled triumphantly, rushing before his fellow warriors and striking a strong fighting pose, ready to jump into the fray.

"This isn't a game, Gai. He's got one of our own." Kakashi said, tensing as he noticed the swordsman's look. He was hoping the boy might have been wrong about the discription, but now, there was no mistaking who this man was before them. Kisame Hoshigaki, a known member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and one of their strongest to boot. "_What the hell could he be doing here?" _Thought Kakashi, slipping a kunai from one of his pouches, preparing himself for a fight.

"Yes and if you don't want to see this little boy's life cut incredibly short, I'd like it if you three could back off!" Kisame barked, bring his precious blade to the boy's throat. He wasn't willing to go down so easily, not when he was the one who held all the cards here.

"You have no where to run, Kisame." Kakashi ordered, tightening his grip on his dagger of choice. 3 on 1, he liked their odds, but of course the world doesn't work that way. The shark now holds a hostage and from the reports on this man he's not the most stable of sorts. He could mean it and slice through Naruto like butter, it wasn't something Kakashi or the others were willing to gamble on. "_Don't worry Naruto, we'll save you." _

"Oh, you know my name?" Wondered Kisame, "I suppose my reputation proceeds me. And trust me, I have many places to run." He cooed, digging one of the many scales on his massive sword into Naruto's throat, drawing his blood.

"Why did you take Naruto? What would you want with him, he's just a kid?" Asuma questioned, hoping to keep the shark talking while they try to think of a plan to get Naruto out of harm's way.

"I first did it for a purpose, a mission of sorts. But now, seeing as that's gone south, I have to improvise. Hmmmm….I know. Hey, you. With the mask. Do you know how much Kumo will pay for a third Jinchuuriki? How about Suna? I bet they would love to have another one! Maybe even a Daimyo might find it nice to have one of these as a pet. Resting at the foot of his bed like a dog!"

"You've got to be kidding me." Asuma said, such a question would land him a solid punch to his blue face. "You would sell a child into slavery?"

"Don't say it like that. It makes me sound like a bad person. I'm just a humble Nin who fell on some hard times and is trying to make a few extra bucks." The toothy swordsmen chuckled. "And don't pretend like he's some helpless child. I know what rests in this boy's stomach, a powerful beast many would like to get their hands on. Power is a sought after commodity and many have deep enough pockets to pay for it. Besides, I stole this kid and I should get compensated for for all my hard work. It might as well be a pile of money that I can swim in."

"If you think we'll let you leave this spot, you're dead wrong!" Gai said violently, glaring daggers at this seedy man. How could someone be so cruel? This was most unyouthful in Gai's opinion. He will take pleasure in showing this shark why he's known as the Green Beast of Konoha.

"Let me? Hahaha, you naive bastard. I've already left! But don't feel bad, you tried your best." The body dissolves, leaving both the boy and his capture as nothing but a puddle of water.

"Damn it, a water clone!" Asuma hissed

"He could be anywhere by now." Gai stated, "Kakashi, can you see him with your eye?"

"Already on it." Kakashi said, revealing his Sharingan eye to the world as he scans the area, revealing three creatures. "There are three, He's trying to confuse us. One's going down the middle, the other two are heading towards the borders. Head those two off, I'll deal with the third one!"

"Hai!"

**Unknown Location: **

"_**Wake up child, we have little time."**_ A voice called out to him, a voice as deep as any other. It broke through his unconsciousness, awakening him only slightly, enough to speak his mind.

"_W-What? W-Who the hell…." _Naruto thought, feeling the sway of his capture's strides. He was moving quickly, broken out into a hard sprint with no stop in sight. If he didn't know better he would believe the man who kidnapped him had a pack a hounds nipping at his heels. "_Who said that? I can't sense you." _

"_**When the time is right I will explain everything to you, but now is not that time." **_ The voice said, promising him that soon everything will make sense. It's tone seemed to carry a hint of care for the boy, not enough to be of a father's voice but more of a neighbor, a friend, I suppose.

"_I-I don't understand."_ Naruto hissed, feeling the aches and pains in his stiff, beaten body every time this shark shifted his shoulder.

"_**And you won't for some time, but we have more pressing matter to attend to." **_He said, before he continued. "_**Now, I must ask you somthing, child. Will you lend your body and mind to me for this one moment? I can free you from your capture, I give you my word." **_

"_...Y-You can do that?" _He asked, willing to believe anything if it meant he could escape his capture and return home. This would be the first time he truly wished to be back at Konoha, and it would probably be the last.

"_**If you allow me then I will, on my honor." **_ He promised, his words seemed true.

"_F-Fine, you have my permission. Let's kick his ass!" _Naruto proclaimed without a second thought. He soon realised this was not a simple task. Pain shot through him like a bullet, a growing heat from his belly rose through his body without hesitation. His form began to shake and his mind blurred as he felt a presence, something dark and strong, far stronger than he's ever felt.

"Hey, kid! Settle down, will ya?" Kisame yelled, feeling the kid squirm on his shoulder. It was getting harder and harder to hold onto this kid while he runs for his life. He wished to stop and see what in the hell was happening but the more seconds he waste the quicker they catch up to him. Unfortunately, that wasn't a discussion he could make for himself. A pain shot through his side, sharp claws dug through his flesh like a knife.

He hissed at the pain and stopped his retreat, only to feel another claw dig deeper into his other side. Before he could figure out what was happening, the kid slipped from his grasp, tumbling to the ground as he rolls to his hands and knees.

"What the hell kid?" He hissed, placing a hand on his side to feel the slick red substance that was his own blood. "You are becoming more of a hassle than you're worth. I'll just have to ask for more. After I teach you a lesson or two, that is." He chuckled, oddly unfazed by the sight of his own blood. Quite honestly, Naruto was afraid that it might excite him. THe more blood he sees the more mad he becomes.

But this wasn't Naruto any longer. His mind wasn't under his own power, it was under the control of another, far more powerful soul. His hair began to bristle, whiskers darkened, teeth sharpened, and nails turned to claws. He had given into the beast within him and he kinda liked it. The flow of power, how empowering it was to feel. Soon, a dark red aura rose around him, wafting in the breeze like a visible stench and trust me, it smelled, smelled of victory.

"Oh, the brat thinks he can beat me now?" Kisame hummed, seeing the beast's 'gaze' land squarely on him, a tiny slip of drool escaping his bared teeth. "Called on your little furry friend and you think that's enough to stop me. I've got news for you kid, I've faced plenty of your kind back in the day." He smirked, pulling Samehada from his back; preparing for the battle at hand.

He charged the beast, swinging his mighty sword with the strength and confidence as he broke through the solid dirt before him; his target was no where to be found. A blur was all he saw before a fist collided with his cheek, sending him a considerable distance away. His target wasn't to set on allowing the shark any rest, so he didn't let up. Once the body skidded to a halt, he was met with a knee to the bridge of his nose, if it wasn't broken before it was now. His body snapped back, smacking against the dirt before he was set on again by the beast, scratching and clawing his way through the…..watered insides of his foe? Water clone.

"Suiton: Suikōsandan no Jutsu! (Water Release: Water Shark Shot Technique)" Three water sharks tore through the trees like saws, rushing the fox boy with enough power to rip through several people. He moved quickly, barely dodge the final shark that nicked his ankle, tripping him on his way out. He skidded across the dirt, the beast growled at his luck. The boy sensed the man's leaking blood and dodged quickly, missing his blade by a few inches as well. He may be quick but this body is still not up to the fox's standard. "Hold still!" Kisame yelled, slashing once more, nicking the boy's shirt with Samehada's many pointy scales, ripping through it and taking a piece of his outstretched chakra.

"That's it!" He yelled, bringing his sword down on Naruto's shoulder, while he caught the wrapped blade before it could rip through his shoulder. His one fatal mistake. Without restraint, Samehada began to suck through the boy's chakra, draining him of his only ace in the hole. Naruto let out one final gutal roar before the final bits of his only defense was taken from him without mercy. Kisame kicked the boy square in the chest, sending him to the ground with a harsh thud. The boy's breathing was shallow, his body weak, this was his end. "You put up a good fight, you really did. But you made one mistake." He chuckled, gripping the boy by his throat. "You took on Samehada and I, you never had a chance. You're just a kid."

"Then maybe I will have a better one." A voice said, catching Kisame's attention. He looked to find none other than the "Copy Cat shinobi" himself.

"Ah, Kakashi Hatake, what a pleasant surprise." He smirked, dragging the unconscious corpse to the side where the trees outline the road and placed him there, he didn't want his price being damaged more than it already was. "If I knew you would be this early, I would have freshened up."

"I don't think I've ever been early in my life," He smiled through his mask, "but there's always a first time for everything."

"Now, what can I do you for?" He wondered, playing coy just like he usually did. He probably got some perverse pleasure in toying with others. "Directions, a cup of water, or maybe you want a close shave?" He said, brandishing his thirsty blade, flaring at the coming battle once more.

"You know what I want," Kakashi stated roughly, playtime was over. This wasn't a joke, this was a matter that needs his full attention. "And you're going to give him back to me. Whether you live or die is up for you to decide."

"Scary, cyclops." Kisame chuckled, "but tell you what. I'll make you a deal. I'll give you his right arm and two legs and I keep the rest. Sound good to you?"

"Your jokes - they're getting old, fast." Kakashi hissed, his knuckles cracking as he tightens his hand into a fist.

"Then you're in luck, I've been meaning to blow off some steam and that little squirt over there wasn't itching that particular scratch." Kisame hummed, pointing his blue finger towards the battered blonde in the shade of the trees. "But a well renowned shinobi like yourself could itch it just fine. What do you say? Winner gets the kid, loser…..well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. What do you say, are you game, Kakashi?"

"You won't take Naruto from his home," was all Kakashi said, slipping into his battle ready stance, if glares could kill Kisame would already be dead and buried.

"Then you won't have a problem in humoring my little challenge." Kisame smirked, his blade resting on his shoulder. Today was the day two titans of the shinobi world will clash for the life of one Naruto Uzumaki. "Come on now, I want to see how famous you truly are!"

**Thank you all for reading and please leave a review and PM me if you have any questions. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Clash of Two Titans**

"Come on now, I want to see how famous you truly are!" The shark lunged, his blade poised for an overhand strike as he glared aggressively towards his victim, the thought of a strong, definite battle driving him forward. His blade clashed with Kakashi kunai, a flimsy piece of sharpened metal that bent under the weight of Samehada. Kakashi pushed forward, his weapon of choice scraping against the multi-serrated shark skin with a flurry of sparks and shredded metal as his kunai was being grated apart piece by piece by the massive blade of Kisame. Kakashi kunai soon snapped under the pressure, fracturing into thousands of tiny pieces, forcing the battle hardened cyclops back as the heavy sword of Kisame's comes crashing down inches in front of him.

Kisame continued his vicious onslaught, charging the cyclops with reckless abandonment - his sword swings sweeping before him, lashing out at the infamous copy cat nin. Kakashi dodged with expert precision, however, he was now being slowly being backed up into an unwanted corner. He narrowly jumped in time for the blood thirsty serrated blade to scrap the soles of his sandals and imbed itself in the tree behind him. Shoving off the adjacent tree, Kakashi gave himself some much-needed space, landing himself behind the lanky land shark. The Shark snarled at the cyclops narrow escape and gasped when he felt a swift kick land harshly against his ribs, then a haymaker across his face.

"Is that all you've got?!" Kisame yelled, yanking his blade from the tree and swiping at the silver haired Jounin, slicing through his torso like it was nothing but butter. The cyclops looked on in horror as his top half was relieved of its bottom before the mangled corpse exploded into two identical smoke clouds. "Clones, is that all you're worth? Nothing but tricks and mirrors?!" He hissed, bashing his sword around the ground like a wild Ape with a stick. Something within Kisame seemed to be shifting, his rage and bloodshed seemed to grow the longer he was denied what was his, a destructive, climactic end to this fortuitous day.

"You want me?" Kakashi voice rang through the canopy of the trees that surrounded the roadway before them, getting a guttural roar from the frenzied land shark. "Fine, then you'll get all of it." Before Kisame could even lash out, a hand burst from the ground before he gripped it gripped his ankle and pulled him into the depths of the soil. Quickly, Kakashi emerged from the soil - his usual laid back appearance still very apparent before he produced a kunai and prepared to slit Kisame's throat with little resistance.

The shark roared, bursting from his earth prison within seconds - this weak technique little match for Kisame's rage. As he prepared to swipe at Kakashi's prone state, he noticed something that gave him something to be very worried about. Below him in the hole he just imploded from laid an intricate layer of explosive tags along with two pressed against his chest and back which seemed to have activated the moment he moved from his prison. With little warning the explosive tags detonated, unleashing an immense explosion that sent a wall of flames high above the tree canopy. "I wanted to save those for a very sticky situation, but I guess now would do." He said with a sigh, referring to the veracity and strength behind those explosive tags. As most would know, average explosive tags, if bought and not hand crafted by yourself, are rather cheap depending on which store you went to - but the ones he bought were the highest grade and the most potent tags he could find. Once the explosion died down, the remains of his opponent - a few burnt scraps of his clothing - fluttered to the ground, giving him the illusion of victory, but illusions were not something that worked all too well on Kakashi Hatake. Within the trees that lined the walkway rested the slightly singed shark known as Kisame, his back resting against a massive oak as he tried to catch his breath.

"_I suppose I've backed myself into a corner here,"_ he thought with a wicked grin, his smile contrasting with the utter pain he felt after that little trick Kakashi just pulled. "_I've got to come up with a plan, I won't be done in like this."_ He said, tightening his grip on his trusted weapon, feeling it hunger for more chakra. As he pondered his eyes were drawn west, peering towards a mass that laid unconscious under the shade of another oak tree. "_Well, that could work."_

Soon the silver haired shinobi began to close in on Kisame's location, another kunai gripped in his hand as he and his newly summoned companion dog scanned his surroundings with a critical eye and a sharp nose. The grey haired wolf and his master caught on to the shark's charred scent and went after it, prepared to rip this kidnapper a new one, only to hesitate once he saw Naruto propped up in front of Kisame, a makeshift shield for the wounded shark.

"Why hello there, Kakashi. What a nice surprise," Kisame cooed with his usually scratchy voice, enjoying the utter disdain that washed over Kakashi's face. "It seems you and your pooch have found me."

"Is there no low you're not willing to sink to, Kisame?" Kakashi hissed, watching as the land shark begins to inch closer to him - brandishing Naruto as if he was his new form of a shield in one hand and gripped his signature blade in the other.

"Sticks and stones, Kakashi. You do what you must to survive, and right now I'm gonna make sure I make it out of here in one piece." The blue swordsman snickered, growing ever closer to the steely-eyed cyclops. "Now, we can do this the easy way or my way."

"What's the difference?" Kakashi questioned, his trusty wolf growling at the sharks closeness.

"Both of them end with you dead at my feet, only my way is more fun." Kisame wasted no time in striking, raising his Samehada high only to bring it crashing down towards his two opponents. Kakashi and his K-9 companion easily moved away from his strike and went for a combined assault against him. The dog quickly rushed to sink its teeth in the sharks unprotected midsection but was stopped when Naruto's unconscious body was put in front of it. The wolf was quickly sideswiped by Kisame's sword, knocking it into a nearby tree while also leaving a nasty scar on its sternum.

Kakashi charged the land shark with his kunai, flipping over his first few swings before he was close enough to land a deadly blow, but just like his companion mere moments ago, Naruto's body was thrust before him, keeping him from delivering the ending blow to this bastard. "You know," Kisame began, keeping Kakashi on guard with a couple of well-placed slashes with his weapon, "if you weren't such a pansy this battle would already be over. Come on, slice through the boy, end it. What does he matter to you anyway? He's just a Jinchuuriki brat!" Samehada came crashing down, nearly slicing Kakashi's body to bits but merely shredded his jacket instead.

This continued for quite some time as Kakashi continued to mount some form of assault against the blue bastard, only for him to use Naruto as his personal defense, even going so far as to use the boy's unconscious body as a makeshift weapon; his dangling legs were surprisingly painful when the crack you across the head. That is not to say that Kakashi wasn't able to get a few pot shots in on the cowardly shark, thanks to the distractions of his wolf companion he's been able to stick the bastard with a few miscellaneous weapons along with a few well-placed hits. He was once prepared to use his jutsus but knew he didn't have any techniques that wouldn't put Naruto in danger, so he elected to keep his vast library of jutsus stored away until an opening presents itself.

Now the stood before each other once again, both rather tired from this long-standing battle. Kakashi's restraint has cost him, leaving him open to many unforeseen attacks from his enemy while Kisame's carelessness has landed him with several sharp objects lodged into many areas of his body. This was becoming far more trouble than either of them were prepared for.

"You're not half bad, cyclops. I'd say you could be one of my top fighters if we could go all out." He said with a smirk, "but unfortunately, I don't have time to do so."

"That's enough," Kakashi said, going for his covered eye, "this ends now." But as the cyclops grips his headband, prepared to reveal his final trump card, he noticed Naruto's body began to move. Not only move but…..glow? Yes, Naruto's unmoving corpse was glowing a hellish red aura as his nailed elongated once more and his teeth sharpened. The shark soon noticed this transformation as the same one that happened mere minutes before and went to stop it, but was caught off guard by the boy's next action. He quickly slipped from his jacket, leaving him in merely a dirty white T-shirt, and freeing him from the shark's grip. He then slashed furiously at the man's calf, slicing it open for all to see.

"AHH!" He yelled, feeling the blood spurt from his four consecutively open wounds, "you little bastard!" He lifted his sword up once more to cleave the awakened child in two but was stopped by several sharp kunai and shurikens, courtesy of Kakashi Hatake, striking his swinging arm, bring out another grunt of pain from the walking shark. Before he could even register what was going on, another attack came from below in the form of Kakashi's summoned wolf, she rushed her opponent and latched her sharp teeth into his thigh with a sickening squish; dropping her opponent to one knee. Using the wolf's back as a springboard, the much shorter Naruto was able to claw the sharks chest, leaving four very distinct claw marks on his now bleeding chest.

It seemed that they all saw what this was, the perfect opportunity to capitalize on Kisame's mistake, so without warning, Kakashi rushed the shark and captured the shark's sword arm in his grip before delivering a vicious elbow to it, snapping the limb with ease and sending his precious sword to the ground. The final blow that ended this hellish night came from one Naruto Uzumaki who, charged with the raging power of a fox demon, railed back and delivered a youkai filled haymaker to the fish cake's face, sending him to the ground with an unmistakable thud, quickly followed by the tired and worn out Naruto.

Kakashi looked to the boy, a mixture of gratitude and shock coursing through his face as he couldn't imagine what he just saw. "_D-Did Naruto just control the Kyuubi's chakra? It must be because there's no way the Kyuubi would have helped Naruto willingly without something in return."_ He thought as he walked to Naruto's side, a smile of gratitude on his face. "You are full of surprises, aren't you Naruto?" He said with a chuckle, taking his seat next to the unconscious youngster as he lets out a single sigh of relief and for a moment, Kakashi almost had time to rest.

"Kakashi!" A voice cried out as Kakashi's only eye began to slowly close, only for it to snap open to see both Asuma and Gai rushing his position. From the look of their attire, it seems they had some fun with the shark's clones before they dispersed, Gai seemed the less damaged out of the three while Kakashi was the most.

"Gai, Asuma. I've got Naruto," Kakashi said, waving them over to their spot under the tree.

"Good, I was worried he'd given you the slip." The chain smoker sighed with relief, kicking the blue bastard's thigh for giving them so much grief. "So, what did you do to this blue-skinned freak?"

"He's unconscious. He won't be getting up anytime soon," Kakashi reassured them, slowly getting to his feet as he could feel his muscles stiffen. It might be beneficial if he started more vigorous training other than the typical style he's used to. During this battle, he couldn't help but see how uneven he was without his Sharingan helping him, he landed some good hits on Kisame but he knew if the battle continued without his trusty trump card he wouldn't be the one standing.

"Kakashi, how could you! You took this youthful fight from me!" Gai yelled. His battle with the clone was very unsatisfactory, seeing as it barely put up a fight once Gai took it seriously - his blazing speeds and quick style of fighting tore through the water clone with ease. He hoped, however found the real Kisame, would save him a piece of the action to test out the land shark's true youthful aggression, but it was not meant to be. "Very well, if I can't participate in this fight, then I'll have to run home on my hands - and if I can't beat you to home, then I must do 1,000 pushups in 10 seconds, and then I-"

"Gai, we don't have time for this. The blue bastard will be waking up at any moment, we need to get him to Konoha. Anko and Ibiki will have him squealing like a pig in no time." Asuma said with a slight tone to his voice. Though he respected the hell out of Gai, his whole "youth" tendency was the one thing that he couldn't stand. The loud colors he wore, the ear-splitting screeching about his youth, it was unbearable to the stoic smoker. "Have you made sure Naruto is alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. D-Don't worry about me." He said, clutching his ribs tenderly. Like the cyclops he teamed with, he wasn't looking too good after this battle, and thanks to the extra abuse he faced at the hands of Kisame, no one expected to see him conscious, let alone trying to get up. "Just a bit...banged up, is all."

"You don't have to act all tough kid, we're friends here." Asuma chuckled at the boy's failed attempts at acting tough. "Now, tell me what hurts. We don't need you slugging behind from a nasty injury."

"No, I'm fine, seriously. I've been hurt worse before," Naruto said, getting an odd look from Asuma. What could he mean by that? But before he could ask, however, he spoke up, "you're Hiruzen's kid, right?"

"Y-Yeah, how did you-" Asuma began to question but it was answered soon enough.

"Cigarette smoke, the Sarutobi's signature. He said you picked up one of his bad habits." Naruto smiled, the usual aroma of smoke and the humble abode of the Sarutobi clan, the same smell on the father's cloaks, clung to the Jounin's clothing. "That and you smell just like him, it's uncanny."

"Smell like a Nuke-nin dog, dad wasn't exaggerating this time - that's a first." Asuma chuckled as well, astonished by the boy's skills. Not many could tell such sensitive scents apart on him thanks to his smoking habit, an unknown blessing of being a chain smoker, but the boy was able to smell something beyond the smoke and found the familiar smell of his father. "Can you walk, kid?"

"Don't worry about me, let's just get out of here. The less time I spend around that bastard, the better." Naruto said, slowly getting to his feet with the help of Asuma and an adjacent tree.

"You handled yourself out there very well, Naruto," Kakashi said simply, kneeling before the short blonde with a distinct eye smile. "For a gaki, I mean."

"I saved your ass, Neko-san. I hope you don't forget that" he smirked too, recalling the smell of his old time guardian who was assigned to watch over him as long as he could remember. He could remember distinct times were this masked shinobi would protect him from all manners of threats whether he 'saw' them coming or not.

The one-eyed Jounin smiled, not at all surprised that Naruto pinpointed his ANBU identity, "Well, I guess you could say we're even now."

"Kakashi, my rival, what is he talking about? Did even this youthful child get a shot at this cold blooded individual while my youth withered?! How could you, Kakashi!?" Gai asked dramatically, his body quivering in sorrow at the mere idea of missing out on another epic battle.

"Give it a rest, Gai. This isn't time to get overly dramatic," Asuma said, "Now let's get going, dad's probably worried sick." He then turned to the unconscious Kisame and with a sneer, asked the question no one really wanted to answer. "...Who wants to carry fish cakes over here?"

"I will!" The enthusiastic green beast proclaimed, snatching up the man's prone corpse and slinging it onto his back with ease. "If I cannot face this formidable foe, then I shall carry him without delay for the remainder of our trip back. If I am unable to beat you three back to Konoha, then I shall break 1,000 boulders with nothing but my youth alone!" And with that, Mighty Gai took off, leaving only a trail of dust and his comrades behind.

"...So, was he dropped on his head as a child or…?" Naruto asked cynically, sensing the overwhelming aura of Gai slowly depart from the group.

"Mighty Gai only has one speed and it's insatiable. He's never been one to do anything half-assed," Asuma stated with a nod. Though the man's actions can be infuriating, he would be lying if he wasn't impressed with his work ethic, it was inspiring - although, not inspiring enough to make Asuma actually boost his own work ethic, but still -. "He puts quite a few shinobis and Kunoichis to shame, even the best of our field couldn't keep up with him in pure strength alone. He's…..something else." He said kindly before his kind words died in his throat when he heard, from out of nowhere, the battle cry of "YOSH!"

"Hmm, I gotta say, I am impressed by his work ethic. I'm not so impressed with….everything else." Naruto said with a shutter.

"He may be weird, but you'll never find a stronger taijutsu master than him," Asuma stated before he and Kakashi decided it would be best to start heading for Konoha, with Naruto gradually trailing behind them. Though, once he passed the discarded weapon of the fallen swordsmen, he heard something - a voice perhaps? He stood stock still as he felt like something was reaching out towards him, beckoning him towards the lowly sword. He slowly made his way back towards the blade, the voice growing ever stronger the closer he came to it and before he knew it, his hand was hovering over the handle, the idea of taking this blade as his own very prominent in his mind at this moment. "Come on Naruto, dad will kill me if he knew we left you behind." Asuma called to the boy, snapping him out of this hypnotic like trance he seemed to be gripped in; he reeled away from the sword, feeling suddenly out of breath from the mere act of getting close to this haunting weapon.

"H-Hai, coming!" He said, backing away slowly before taking off in their direction, unaware of what truly transpired between him and the now pulsating sword.

**-Hokage Tower: 2 Hours Later- **

Naruto and the other's were surprised at how long it took them to get back and how much ground the had to cover before they reached the entrance to Konoha, but - seeing as Naruto was, at the time, either fighting for his life or unconscious - he really wasn't aware of how much ground they had travelled. Soon enough, the group arrived at the gates of Konoha and while Gai rushed to drop off their captured swordsman to the Interrogation division, the rest made a quick B-line towards the Hokage tower where the man himself stood, his nerves racked with anxiety over what could have possibly transpired. Eventually, his nerves were set at ease when Naruto barged through his office doors, only to be swiftly picked up and hugged by the worried overseer of this poor boy. "Oh Kami, I'm getting too old for this." He said with a sigh that carried much anxiety with it. "Thank you all for retrieving Naruto for me, I don't know what would happen if we had lost him." He looked to his subordination, proud and thankful for their success.

"All in a day's work, Hokage-sama! I appreciated the cardio!" The green beast howled as he walked through the door, his signature grin plastered on his face. His trip to the interrogation room was nothing but a blur as he hoped he could beat his comrades to the Hokage tower, even if they had a headstart but, unfortunately, he was merely 13 seconds too slow. To make up for his faults, he promised to run the circumference of Konoha on his knees within 10 minutes after this meeting was adjourned on top of his already promised Youth Rock Breaking.

"I'm just glad we got him in time, it would have been a pain in our collective asses if he crossed the border." Asuma remarked as he imagined the bureaucratic hell they would have to deal with to merely pass over the border peacefully, let alone hunt down their missing blonde - and that's only assuming the villages they search actually _want_ to part with him.

"And this "Kisame" character, where is he now?" The Hokage asked, taking his seat back behind his desk as he prepared himself to learn more on what happened after his team left his office.

"Being interrogated by Anko as we speak, he'll be squealing like a pig in no time," Asuma said with a knowing smirk, well aware of the effectiveness of Anko's brand of torture. No man, women, or a mixture of the two could ever last a day with Anko would breaking, not even a member of the Seven Mist Swordsmen.

"Good, I was afraid you three would have killed him. Now we can truly find out who sent him after Naruto-kun and prevent this from happening again." He said with a sigh of relief, patting Naruto on his fluffy blonde hair.

"It wasn't from lack of trying, mind you." Kakashi said with a slight chuckle, "I was tempted to pull out all the stops, but unfortunately, he was using Naruto as a shield, I had no opening. Thankfully, Naruto took him by surprise, giving us the opening we needed to take him alive."

"Naruto-kun? Opening? What are you talking about?" The Hokage asked, looking to his surrogate grandson with a cocked brow. "Naruto-kun has zero shinobi training, how could he possibly-"

"He was like a man possessed, that's the only way I could describe it. I've never seen a gaki with zero training do what he did, I couldn't think of a better student." Kakashi said knowing, he didn't wish to scare either Naruto or Sarutobi with the truth so he thought it would be best to explain what he believed to have happened when he and the Hokage could discuss it alone.

"Wait, student?" Naruto asked, but soon the answer came to him in waves, bring a smile slowly to his features. "No way, you're my teacher?! I actually have a teacher! WAHOO!"

"Teachers, kid." Asuma said, "if it was anyone else I would say they were exaggerating, but I know Kakashi well enough to know he is telling the truth. If you're as half as good as what Kakashi said you were, I would be an idiot to let talent like that slip through the cracks."

"Holy shi - err, I mean crap! Two powerful, A - ranked Jounins as my teachers! I can't believe it." Naruto was practically starstruck at the possibility of having these two strong shinobi's as his personal senseis. Now, he knew the had other things they must attend to as registered ninjas do, but the idea of them helping him learn their craft and become a true shinobi brought a smile to his face he could never truly hide. "Thanks, Gramps, I didn't think you would go this far for me. I...I can't thank you enough!"

As the room grew silent - well, as silent as it could be with Naruto mumbling with a gitty smile on his face - A determined look came over Gai's face as he looked at the excited gaki with a stern look. "Naruto Uzumaki!" He said forcefully, snapping Naruto from his gitty rambles.

"Y-Yeah?" Naruto answered, perplexed at this man's loud tendencies and louder personality.

"Training ground 9, 4 a.m., meet me and my apprentice there and bring your workout equipment, you'll need it." He commanded with heart, his eyes and soul burning with his own brand of youth, something Naruto could sense quite well. This was the test Gai needed, from what Kakashi said, the boy is quite good for his age, but he must see it for himself, he could not push forward with him as his second apprentice if he was merely going to slow Lee down. That might sound cruel but it was warranted, he needed to see what this boy's true potential was with his own eyes.

"O-Okay, may I ask why?" Naruto asked, turning to face the green beast of Konoha with a perplexed look to him.

"This is your third and final teacher, gaki." Asuma chuckled, "well, possible one anyway."

"...T-This can't be real, I must be dreaming. Jiji, you're pulling my leg, right?" The Hokage looked at him, his brow cocked. "Three, three bonafide, battle hardened Jounins are going to be training me? How is this even possible?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself Naruto, I haven't fully taken you as my next student." Gai clarified, "this training is your test. You shall be subjected to the same grueling training regimen I pushed Rock Lee through the first time he came to me for training. If you impress me with your tenacity, I will take you on as my next youthful apprentice!"

Though the concept of Gai injecting Naruto with a dose of "youth" sent shivers down his spine, Naruto steeled his features as he 'leered' towards the green spandex taijutsu master with determination. "I will give you my all tomorrow, dattebayo!" Even though Naruto wasn't too keen on the man's iridescent personality, he would be an idiot to reject a man as strong as Gai as his third and final sensei. His aura, though too bright for his liking, gave off an unnatural strength of character and raw, unbreakable power. If he didn't know any better, he would say that Gai was the strongest teacher he had in terms of physical strength. Kakashi was the most technical while also dealing with a vast Jutsu library, while Asuma was a powerhouse in his own right, being both weapon and jutsu savvy. It was safe to say Naruto couldn't have a better roster of sensei's if he had tried. One day, he needed to repay Sarutobi and his sensei's 10 fold for what they are about to do for him.

Gai's typical toothy grin widened, producing a huge thumbs up towards the blonde. "Very well," he said, "let your youth shine bright tomorrow, let it illuminate your way! YOSH!"

"...Y-Yeah, I'll do that." He said timidly, very perplexed about how he should feel about this sensei right now, but at this moment that was not something that weighed heavy on his mind, sleep was - sleep and the now throbbing pain in the back of his head. The sharp rush of adrenaline seemed to be leveling out, leaving his aches and pains to grip his attention. "Well, if we're done here. I'd like to get some shut eye, I'm gonna have a busy morning tomorrow, so might as well rest up."

"Are you sure, Gaki?" Asuma asked, flicking out the window his used cigarette. "You don't look so good, maybe you should see a doctor."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked sluggishly, his young body now fully aware of its fatigue. Unfortunately, the voice he spoke to during his short-lived battle with Kisame didn't warn him of the drawbacks of using its unlimited power, leaving Naruto blind to the absolute mutilation his body has just endured until just this moment. His muscles pulsed with pain a boy his age should ever experience, his bones ached to the point he feared they would be cracked or even a hair away from snapping like twigs, and his head - it pounded with the force of five war drums. "I-I feel fi-" his false bravado soon faltered as he fell forward, collapsing under this quick shock of pain to his system.

"Wow, easy there Naruto, I've got you," Kakashi said kindly, catching the unconscious boy before it connected with the hard wooden floor.

"The gaki's strong, even for his age, but I'm not surprised he dropped like this." Asuma sighed, "a kid his age has his limits." Personally he was prepared for this to happen. If Kakashi's tale was to be believed, the boy has been through quite a lot both physically and mentally, so crashing like he did was a foregone conclusion.

"He reminds me of a younger Lee, always trying to push himself even when he doesn't have too." Gai smiled warmingly, placing a reassuring hand on the boy's unconscious shoulder. "Even now, I can tell he's going to grow up to become a strong shinobi….A STRONGLY YOUTHFUL SHINOBI! YOSH!"

"Gai, shut up! This isn't the time for your youth shit!" Asuma growled out, biting down on the second cigarette he was about to light in the span of 5 minutes. One would consider smoking again with only 5 minutes in between is a bit excessive, but Asuma couldn't care less what people think of his habit - even if they are right.

"THERE IS ALWAYS TIME FOR YOUTH, YOUTH IS WHAT BINDS THE WORLD, BINDS EVERY BOY AND GIRL, BINDS THE TREES WITH THE ANIMALS! YOUTH IS ALL!" The spandex freak howled with passion and heart, his fists aimed to the heavens themselves as if he was proclaiming this all as the holy truth.

"If you don't give it a rest, I'm gonna cut your tongue out!" Asuma yelled, now brandishing his famed trench knives in a show of force.

"I DO NOT NEED MY TONGUE TO SPREAD THE WORD OF YOUTH! MY ACTIONS AND MY BODY ARE THE AMPLIFIERS FOR THE YOUTH THAT DRIVES ME!" Gai proclaimed, thick, manly tears now streaming down his face for his true devotion of his craft. If Naruto was awake for this, he might have actually started to regret his hasty decision to want Mighty Gai has his third and final sensei.

"...I'll take Naruto-san to the hospital." Kakashi sighed as he watched these two fight amongst each other, surprised at how childish they could be over something so minimalistic.

"Thank you Kakashi," Sarutobi sighed as well, pinching the bridge of his nose at this display - especially seeing as one of them was his son. Soon enough, Kakashi gingerly carried Naruto from the room and headed straight for the hospital, hoping Naruto could find some peace and rest there for the night. Oh, how wrong he was.

**Thank you all for being patient, I've been working hard on this update and I really hope you guys like it. Please review and update if you have any questions. Also, if I don't update anytime before Christmas passes, Merry Christmas! Also, Happy H****anukkah. And finally, Happy Kwanzaa!**


	4. Author's Note: Hiatus

Hello,

It is with a heavy heart that I must take an undisclosed amount of time off from fanfiction. I've been wondering if I should do this for quite some time actually, as many of you have noticed because of my lackluster updating schedule, but I have been burnt out on writing for a while now, it's sadly become, at times, a chore to slog through but I continued because there are hundreds of people who really like my stories and I wanted to give back to them. It has nothing to do with high demand or anything like that, I've just been trying my hardest to create quality content for those who have been gracious enough to review, favorite, and follow my stories - and before I continue I must say, I cannot thank you all enough for the support you have given my page and stories, it means the world to me. So, I don't really know when I will be coming back to , it could be a few weeks or a few months, I just need a break to work on my personal projects and to simply unwind. That being said, this does **NOT **mean any of my stories will be taken off the page or that I will not come back, I will, and hopefully I'll bring a lot more updates for my stories.

Also, Lawrence Helmbain and Darth Khan N7, the two who have given me my first challenges as a Fanfic writer, that also means I won't be updating on your challenges for a while, and I would completely understand if you wish to take your challenge and find someone else who can. My feelings will not be hurt a single bit, I understand you want to see your stories come to life and I cannot do that for you right now. If you two or anyone who has questions, PM me or ask them in a Review, though if you are a guest I won't really be able to answer you.

(12/29/15) As of today, Alucard1959 is on Hiatus for the foreseeable future.

I am sorry and thank you for understanding!


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**The Wind of Change**

**I own Nothing**

The night grew ever closer as the moon's heavenly beams of light shone through the windows of Konoha Hospital, landing on the face of one unconscious child, his breath ragged and his body weak - though, surprisingly, these were not the side effects of what landed him here today. Before he laid his head to rest he seemed relatively fine, his body sore but manageable so, his head pounding, and his wounds rather itchy, but nothing he couldn't handle - but that all changed when he closed his eyes. An odd, thumping rhythm pounded in his mind that seemed oddly familiar to him….like he had heard it before, like a silent call waiting to be answered by him. It grew ever louder the longer he rested and soon, at 5 o'clock in the morning, the sound had grown into an insatiable thumb that felt mere inches from his ear, but as the sound grew in volume, it helped the restless child find out where he'd heard this sound once before, it was a heartbeat.

He awoke shortly after 5, unable to bare the sound any longer. He 'looked' to his bedside, hoping he could possibly sense something in that direction that could be making this noise and thankfully he did...it just was something that confused him too no end. He sensed an unmoving object under his bed, it's form rising and resting as if it were breathing, "_Is there...someone under my bed?"_ he wondered, slightly terrified as that idea played in his mind. What should he do? There was no way to reach the nurses or doctors without getting off the bed and alerting the creature under his bed to him, maybe he could take it himself? Unlikely, seeing as his wounds were still rather tender and whatever it was it almost matched the length of his bed, meaning it wasn't small or manageable in the slightest for the blonde knucklehead that rested above it. Maybe he could call out? That probably wouldn't help either, seeing as the breathing creature below him would hear it just the same and probably attack. He had very few options, and none of them lead to him not being possibly hurt, mangled or worse, murdered.

As he continued to think of ways to find help, he felt the thing begin to move under his bed. "_Oh god, what the fuck is that?" _He wondered nervously as he heard a scraping sound every time the thing moved itself. Soon, the creature slowed to a halt as it's supposed head jutted out from under the covers that hung over the bed. Naruto froze, rightfully uncomfortable about having this things head peering from under his bed at him, which would freak out any child.

As Naruto continued to try and come up with something to do, something strange happened, the sound returned with a vengeance but this time it was lighter, more somber, as if it was a heartbeat of a mother's too it's child. This sound, it drew Naruto's attention - his sensitive ears growing ever tingler the longer it happened, leading him ever closer to this confusing creature. His hand reached out, his child like fingers slowly resting on the tip of this thing as it's body shook from the contact. From what Naruto could tell through his contact, it was wrapped in bandages and under these bandages laid a rough, scaly texture that felt rather dull to the touch. The creature's breath slowed to nothing as the heartbeat faded out along with it, confusing the blonde even more. While the boy sat there, his hand slowly feeling the cold exterior of this now unmoving thing to get a better understanding of it, he was unaware of the opening being created at the very top of this creature - revealing a row of sharp teeth.

Like a venus fly trap lying in wait, the mouth laid dormant until the boy's fingers came into range. Without any warning, the boy's fingers were snatched up by the beast before it viciously started to thrash it's body, gathering enough momentum to throw the boy from his bedside and onto the hard linoleum floor. Before he could ever let out a scream of pain or shock, the creature pulled its body along with his under the bed before it quickly began to make it's way up his forearm and then to his head, swallowing up half of the boy's body in one swift motion.

After the initial shock of this….really weird scenario wore off Naruto, he began to justifiably freak out - kicking and screaming under the bed like a madman as his body was forcefully being swallowed up one foot of his body at a time. But, unfortunately, his attempts to escape were in vain as his final body part, his right foot, was slurped up by this creature with minimal effort, leaving him stuck in the moist, spongy thing this creature put him in. Soon after Naruto's body was absorbed the creatures went dormant, lying completely still under the hospital bed as the muffled screams of the boy inside it were unheeded by anyone outside the room.

Naruto's screams slowly grew softer as something caused him to fall unconscious as his body began to slowly sink into the moist membrane around him. Without warning, they boy fell into a deep sleep as his body physically merged with his surroundings.

**\- Unknown Location - **

"W-What the hell?" He wondered, a feeling of emptiness and hollowness coursing through his very being. His body, if he had one, felt light - almost lifeless as he floated there, unable to feel or hear anything, a sensation that sent chills up his spine.

But as soon as the empty feeling began to overwhelm him, a voice called to him. "**I've been looking for you, child." **The voice seemed feminine and sweet but with a tinge of blood lust that filled Naruto with dread. "**Leaving me behind in the woods, ignoring my call - I had half a mind to suck you dry and leave you to the wind, but the connection I felt was far too strong to just fall back on my base instincts." **The voice's origin was unknown but to Naruto, it felt like it was nestled in his ear, whispering to his very psych.

Naruto tried to turn towards the voice but found that his body was constricted, immobilizing him for the time being. "What? What are you talking about?" He asked,

"**Don't play dumb, boy; you felt it too, don't pretend. My kind doesn't dismiss such feelings."** The voice cooed, the voice now reaching deeper into the mind of Naruto's, leaving him swimming with emotions and questioned he had no answers for. "**The aura radiating around us, the calling of each other - do you not feel it?" **

He breathing began to grow more erratic, his heart rate began to spike - something was wrong and thi's voice has to be causing it. "W-What feelings? You're making no sense."

"**We resinated, a feeling between a swordsmen and it's weapon that draws them closer, that binds them together - I thought I'd never feel this sensation in my lifetime. It's…...intoxicating." **She said, her words slipping out smoothly. "**And all of this coming from a mere blind child, I don't know what to think…..." **

"...W-What's happening? What is this...feeling?" He wondered, his heartbeat growing even more hectic as she talked. It began to pulse, his body shook from such an irregularity.

"**THERE! Now you feel it! What I have been feeling all day and what you robbed from me when you left me in the forest, that's why I needed to hunt you down, I needed you - and soon, you'll need me." **She chuckled, the tightness around Naruto's body growing in strength, constricting his form in an uncomfortable manner.

"W-What do you...mean by that?"

"**You'll find out soon enough," **She whisper, her presence slowly slipping from Naruto's subconscious. "**Sleep well, young meister, you'll need it." **

**-The Next Day; Hospital, 8 a.m.-**

"Uzumaki-san, Uzumaki-san!" Another voice soon called to him, catching his attention. As his senses began to come back to him, he could tell that he was sprawled out on the floor, his nurse kneeling next to him flushed with anxiety. "Oh thank the gods. Sir, are you alright?" She asked, hearing the grunts and grumbles of her patient.

"W-Wha?! What's happening, where am I?" He barked, kicking up in a panic.

"You're in the hospital, Uzumaki-san. You must have fallen out of bed while you were sleeping last night. Please, let me help you up." The nurse went to help her poor patient up but he brushed her off, instead wishing to get up on his own accord.

"N-No, no, I got it." He said, his mind still swimming with the cryptic information given to him what felt like seconds ago. "_W-What the hell is happening to me?!" _

"But Uzumaki-san, your wounds, they might-" She began only to see a few unwrapped bandages where his wounds should be, however, on closer examination, his wounds were completely gone, not even a scar taking it's place. "That's strange, your wounds have healed. That's impossible."

"What?" Naruto wondered, running his hand across his supposedly healed flesh to find no blemishes or imperfection, leaving him puzzled as to how this could happen. This isn't the first time he has spent a night in a hospital goon nor will it be the last, but even with his usual speedy recovery, it still took a day or two of resting and eating subpar food before he could even remotely healed. "How the hell?"

"U-Uzumaki-san," the nurse called,

"Will you stop calling me that, it's Naruto." he said, the honorific of 'san' being a point of contention for him.

"H-Hai, but….Naruto-san," she continued,

"Yeah?" He answered,

She points to the bottom of the hospital bed Naruto was suppose to sleep under, a distinct aura of fear emitted by the poor nurse. "What's that u-under the bed?"

"Under the…." His words hitched in the back of his throat as the memories of last night came back to him, including the strange visitor that took him by surprise underneath the bed. He "looked" towards the nurse only for him to sense her hesitance to search under the bed, leaving him the only person willing to grab whatever lurked underneath the hospital bed. He bent down slowly, making sure the hospital gown wasn't showing off his goods to the bashful nurse, and reached under, grabbing hold of something solid and, seeing as it had quite a heft to it, dragged it out from under the bed. The nurse gasped once it came into full view, "what is it?" Naruto asked but was given no response. "Hey, nurse, what is this thing?"

"I-I-I think it's a….weapon of some kind,"

"You _think _it's a weapon? Aren't weapons pretty easy to point out?" Naruto asked, seeming to be rather curt with the young nurse before he felt something familiar, very familiar. A pulse ran through the supposed weapon before reaching his arm, then to his very core, his heart began to pound to the rhythm of the pulses.

"I-It's moving!" The Nurse declared as she saw what hid under the bandages that decorated this weapon begin to move slowly and rhythmically, almost as if this weapon was alive.

"I-It's a she…." said Naruto absentmindedly as his grip tightened around the handle.

"What?"

"...Hmmm? O-Oh, it's nothing." He said, his mind focusing back on the real world. "You said she's...moving?"

"Y-Yeah, it's….it's really weird," The nurse stated, inching closer to the wiggling weapon bound in bandages, her hand now inching closer to it's exterior until the movement stopped, the blade now dormant. The nurse's hand was now one inch away from the blade before it sprang back to life, it's sharp scale like blades ripping through its bindings and scraping against the woman's hand, leaving merely flesh wounds, but the sudden movement from the sword startled the nurse backwards before she tripped on her own two feet, landing her on her back, staring nervously at the weapon. "W-W-What the hell was that?!" She practically cried, stumbling back to her feet as she kept her distance from that….thing.

"...I don't know….say, where are my clothes?" he asked, rather disconnected to what happened moments ago towards the nurse, he just seemed so focused on this blade and all the questions that rushed through his mind about it.

"Y-Your clothes?" She repeated as she returned to her feet, a bit embarrassed about the whole ordeal.

"Yeah, where are they? I need them, I need to go and talk to someone." He said plainly, really not wanting to mince words with her.

She shook her head no, unwilling to even humor the idea. "Naruto-san, you cannot leave yet. We still need to run test and fill out paperwork and-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's fine and I'll do all of that _after _I go talk to someone, it's important." He cut her off, only for her to stick to her guns and refuse him his clothing.

"I'm sorry sir but we can't let you leave the premises until we make sure you're safe to do so." She said, "now please, lay back in bed and put down that thing so we can do our job. The quicker you do that, the quicker you can leave, alright?"

"But I'm already healed, you said it yourself. Keeping me here any longer would just be a waste of your time and mine," He argued, confused by this train of thought. If a person's healthy, isn't it the job of the hospital to get them out so they can have another room for some other sick patient?

If you're truly healed then you won't have a problem humoring us and letting us check you over before discharging you. So, please, take a seat and I'll get a doctor right to you, alright?"

Naruto stood silent for a moment before reluctantly muttering, "...fine," and plopping back down on the hospital bed.

"Good, thank you for your cooperation, Naruto-san. A doctor will be in here shortly," and with that, the nurse left the room, prepared to put whatever weirdness happened in that room behind her and simply do her job. As she searched for a free pair of hands to help with Naruto's physical evaluation, Naruto was doing his own searching, going through each draw in his room to try and find anything resembling normal clothing.

Though where he needed to go was important, he really didn't wish to rush over their in a hospital gown, and thankfully, he wouldn't have to; in the bottom draw of the dresser that rested in the hospital room laid a fresh pair of underwear, a neatly folded black shirt and pants. He quickly disrobed and threw on his new clothing, though the clothing seemed about a size too big, he didn't have much time to complain. He grabs his new weapon, the blade pulsating once more, before he slides open the window and leaves, taking to the rooftops to keep himself hidden in this early morning.

**\- Konoha's Interrogation -**

Konoha's interrogation section is the home of many of Konoha's worst offenders and traitors, all of which are tormented and beaten for either information or for them to learn the errors of their ways. Once such individual was non other than Kisame, the shark swordsmen who's wearing nothing but a pair of pants - his official Akatsuki Jacket and ring now apart of evidence, being combed over thoroughly by Konoha's best. The blue creatures rests within his own personal cell, his legs kicked up and his back leaning against the bars of his cell but soon his 'peaceful' bless was interrupted when he heard the pitter patter of feet and soon a similar stench came to his nostrils. "Heh, well look what the cat's dragged in." He chuckled, turning to find the blind child he hunted a day ago. "Out of all the people I thought I'd see today, you weren't on that list, boy. So, why'd you come here for?"

"I need to ask you some questions," Naruto said, still hidden within the shadows of the room.

"Oh, questions? You have a lot of nerve, brat." The walking shark growled. "What happens if I just yell out to the guards outside, how much trouble will you be in when they find you here?"

"I'll hide, you think it's the first time I've broken into a place without anyone knowing. You'd be surprised what this blind boy can get himself into when he tries." Naruto fired back, earning a chuckle from the walking sushi platter.

"Hehe, you know, if I didn't want to skin you alive I'd actually like you, kid. Now, why should I help you? Cause, if you haven't yet noticed, I've been thrown behind bars because of you." Wordlessly, the boy entered the light as he produced his reason for being here, the sword latched to his back by sheer will power. He brandished it before the caged shark, adlisating a chuckle from the toothy inmate, "well, well, well - it looks like you've found yourself another owner, didn't you, you traitor."

"Why did it come for me, how did it find me? Tell me something," Naruto asked, no, demanded. He wanted answers and he knew Kisame was the only one who could possibly know them.

"Heh, that sword is fickle; always changing hands to the strongest chakra signature it can find. Trust me, when your back's against the wall, it won't hesitate to leave you in the dust to get a quick snack." Kisame began, his eyes dancing around his weapon, almost bitter at its departure. "But I'm not surprised it chose you, Jinchuuriki chakra is it's favorite. Always liked to try and suck them dry, but never could get the last drop."

"Wait, what are you talking about, what's a Jinchuuriki?" Naruto asked,

"Oh, you don't know?" Naruto shakes his head no, "well then, it won't be me who tells ya. If you're so curious, why don't you ask your Hokage, he'll surely know." Then, Kisame turned, facing his cell wall with a sigh. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I'd like to catch some shut up before that bitch with the trench coat comes back. She's feisty, I'd love to see what she's made of."

Naruto bit his lip, frustrated at the lack of progress this venture has given him. He needed something and he wasn't leaving until he got them, so, with a heavy heart, Naruto asked the only question he knew would get the big fish's attention. "Wait, just answer me this, did she ever talk to you?"

Kisame perked up, peering over his shoulder towards the blind child. "Did who ever talk to me?"

"Samehada, did she ever speak to you in the years you had her?" He asked,

"Hehe….hehehahahahahaha! You can't be serious?" Naruto's face remained as stern as it was before, causing another fit of laughter. " Look, I've seen it do some crazy shit in my day but talking isn't one of them. It's a primal, uncontrollable, chakra eating machine; it has no time or want to speak." He explained, stifling another chuckle. "Heh, I guess I hit you harder than I had thought if you've started to hear voices in your head."

"No, I'm not joking! She talked, she tracked me down and did...something to me last night, all I remember is being slowly pulled into a cramped, moist area before blacking out. She told me about something called "resonating" and a pull or a call to her, I don't understand but it was real, damn it!" He rambled, trying to put together his crazy experience that befell him last night.

"It probably tried to eat ya," Kisame said, as if stating a sword ate a child was like a common occurrence.

"Eat me?!" Naruto yelled, forgetting where exactly he was at the time.

"Keep your voice down in there, you slimy bastard!" A feminine voice yelled from the other room, banging her fist against the wall.

"Shhh, keep your voice down gaki or you might blow your cover." Kisame shushed before continuing with his little tale. "But yeah, it does that. At the tip of the sword it can open up like a mouth, it's got a massive set of teeth that can shred through anything, and one of it's favorite things to do is to swallow up its victims and suck out the chakra like you'd suck on a piece of candy."

"But she didn't suck out my chakra, she talked to me."

"Listen, kid. I'm only gonna say this one more time, _IT _didn't talk to you, _IT _can't talk, and _IT WILL _never talk." Kisame stated emphatically before, once more, turning his back on Naruto, waving the young lad towards the exit from whence he came. "Now, I hope this little conversation of ours was enlightening, but I think our time together must come to an end. Get going and take good care of Samehada or things won't end pretty for ya, I'll guarantee that." But, before Naruto could even make it towards the vent he entered through, Kisame had one last statement to make regarding his weapon. "Oh yeah, kid, one more thing. If I were you, I'd stay away from Kirigakure or any of the affiliated sectors of Kirigakure."

"Why?" Naruto asked,

"You're holding private property of the Kirigakure group known as the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, so when they find you, and trust me, they will find you, you will have to prove that either you're strong enough to wield it or they'll make you suffer for your weakness." Kisame chuckled menacingly, a bloodthirsty grin stretching it's way across his features.

For a moment, Naruto could feel the truth in Kisame's words and his confidence was rocked, more so than he'd ever admit to. "B-But as long as I stay away from Kirigakure I'll be fine, right?"

"Heh, staying away from Kirigakure is a good rule of thumb if you don't want to be found immediately, but that doesn't mean they won't find you soon enough. In Kirigakure, they have the home field advantage, they have eyes and ears all over the place, no one comes in or out of Kirigakure without them knowing about it. They'll keep an eye out for you, watching, waiting, and preparing for the day you slip up, you'll never know when it will happen or how it will go down, but they won't let your roam around with one of their weapons for too long." And with that, Kisame had sown this damning seed into his young mind. "Goodbye gaki and good luck, hehe,"

Naruto quickly ducked into the vents, replacing the greet as he shimmied along the metallic frame as his brain processed what the talking shark had told him. "_H-He's trying to psych me out, right? They wouldn't come for me outside of their own borders, that would be...suicidal; I mean, look at what happened to him. He crossed the boards without permission and now he's behind bars with a trench coated snake lady going to town on him, they wouldn't be stupid enough to do what he did…..right?" _5 minutes later, Naruto had found his way back outside, weaving through the building through shadows, quick thinking, and most importantly, his ever present sensing abilities."_Sneak in, sneak out and no one's the wiser. Man, these people really need to ramp up their security or something," _He slips through the exit vents and starts to head towards his hospital bed, prepared to leave the nurse none the wiser about his disappearance, well, he _was _going to do that, until something, or rather, someone got his attention.

"So, it would seem you've made a stunning recovery, Naruto." A familiar voice called out, taking another hit from his pipe from his spot under a shady tree.

"U-Ummm, Jiji, it's….uhh, it's not what it looks like, I swear" Naruto murmured, only to sigh knowing that with Jiji, he's practically already screwed. "*sigh* so the nurse finally found out I left the hospital, huh?"

"The nurse? Oh, no it wasn't a hospital employee who tipped me off." Sarutobi answered with a simply chuckle,

"Then who?" Naruto asked only to feel two arms snake around his neck, his senses failing to pick up on this new individual.

"So you're the cute little rat rummaging through my building," the voice cooed into his ear, giving him unwanted flashbacks to yesterday's confrontation. "You didn't think you were _that _stealthy, did you, gaki?" This woman was none other than the lead interrogator of Konoha's Interrogation, Anko Mitarashi, a brash and very bold woman who Naruto's never had the displeasure of meeting, until now.

"W-Well, if I were being totally honest, yeah, kinda." Naruto answered, still trying to keep up his cool facade even though he has a pair of breast pressed up against his back.

"That's your first mistake," she said, tracing the boy's cheekbone with her index finger. "Now, I'd like to know why you were snooping around in _my _building and talking to _my _prisoners."

"Aren't you suppose to say please?" He said, again, refusing to give up his attitude, even if he's sure that this woman wasn't someone to mess with.

"Oh, we have a dumb ass over here," she chuckled,

"Don't you mean smart ass?"

"No, because it isn't too _smart _to mess with someone who tortures people for a living, brat." She remarked, twisting the boy around to face her. "Now, are you going to tell me what I want to know peacefully or do I have to bleed it out of you?"

"Anko-san, that's quite enough. I think you've made your point clear," Sarutobi stated, stepping in before Anko decides to teach Naruto a listen. She might now hurt him but she'd definitely scare the crap out of him with no regard or remorse. "Now, Naruto, come with me, we have much to discuss."

"H-Hai, Jiji." Naruto answered, walking behind Sarutobi as one thought raced through his mind. "_Holy crap, what the hell is up with that lady, she's…..terrifying," _

"Bye, bye Naru-kun, have a fun little talk with the Hokage…...oh, and one more thing, if you sneak into my integration building again you might never come back out of it!" She noticed Naruto's pace to pick up quite a bit once her threat left her lips, bringing a smile to her lips. "Hmmmm, I wonder if I over did it a bit?...Na,"

**-Hokage's Tower: 20 minutes later-**

"You know, I shouldn't be surprised anymore when I find you snooping around areas that are off limits to you, but this time really astounds me." Sarutobi said as he takes his seat and motions for Naruto to do the same. "Training ground #44 is one thing, but the Interrogation building is quite another. Would you like to fill me in on why exactly you were there and _not _resting in your hospital bed?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Naruto murmured. The entire time he was walking with Sarutobi he continuously tried to think of some way of explaining this entire crazy mess to him but sadly nothing came up and now he's up a creek without a paddle.

"Try me," so, with a heavy sigh, the boy divulges his secret - watching as Sarutobi's expressions shift with each passing minute of explanation.

"So….Let me get this straight, you were awoken last night by something moving under your bed. Once you decided to look under your hospital bed, something grabbed you and, by the knowledge given to you by Kisame, you believed it swallowed you whole. Once inside this….thing, you were given cryptic messages about bonding and misters before you awoke once more, but this time on the floor of the hospital room. Now, armed with the sword that ate you, you broke into the Interrogation building and questioned the previous owner of said sword about its previous behavior…...Did I get all of that right?" The aging Hokage recapped, his eyes sternly staring at Naruto - seeing if he could find even a shred of humor or foil play within his body language.

Naruto nodded, his expression surprisingly stoic for a boy of his age. "Yeah," he said, producing the weapon in question which seemed to have shrunk since it's original sighting, fitting to Naruto's stature.

Sarutobi sighed, tapping a pen against his desk. He hated this, but even he wasn't willing to believe in such an odd statement, "Naruto, look, what you just told me...it's a rather hard story to believe." How foolish of a Hokage to just believe something like that, it's down right insane.

"I know, I'm not an idiot, Jiji, I know what I just told you….the things I just said makes it sound like I am insane….so do you really think I would have told you all of this if I wasn't positive this happened?" Naruto reasoned, trying to show his Jiji that there was a reason for his mad ramblings. "What reason would I have to tell you this if I know you'd think I'm crazy?"

Sarutobi sat quietly for a moment, mulling over his options before coming up with nothing. "...I don't know, Naruto, but saying that a sword is sentient….that's just impossible,"

"Really? We live in a world where frogs, monkeys, dogs, slugs, and snakes can talk to us like normal people, but a sword, that's where we draw the line for craziness?" Naruto snarked, rather snappish at Sarutobi's claim.

"There has never been a case in recorded history where a sword was sentient, Naruto." Sarutobi fired back sternly, "now I know you may _believe _that this sword spoke to you, but what if what happened last night was nothing more than a dream?"

"A dream?!" A part of Naruto understood where old man Hokage was coming from, such a statement sounds like the strange fantasies we conjure up while sleeping, but another part of him just knew that this was real. Whether it be the vivid voice speaking within his own mind last night or the disturbing concept of him being eaten by the same sword he holds, but he couldn't just chalk this up as a dream.

"Yes, a dream, a strange, incoherent dream that was created after you faced a traumatic and rather scary situation yesterday." Hiruzen repeated himself,

"I can't believe this, you're actually thinking I made this up?" Naruto sighed in irritation, ruffling his hand through his messy golden spikes. "...Alright, fine, if you think it's a damn dream, then how the hell did I get my hands on the sword, huh? Call the hospital, they'll tell you I was unconscious practically all night, there would be no way for me to have left to get this sword."

Sarutobi didn't seem to have an answer for him, "...I don't know," he said,

"Well I sure as hell do; she's alive." Naruto stated emphatically, cradling the sword in his arms to give his Hokage a better view of this supposed living weapon. "If you don't believe me, then take it from me." He soon presented the sword to him as if presenting a present.

Sarutobi cocked a brow, "what are you talking about?"

"Trust me, just try and take it." Naruto answered cryptically.

Strangely, left with such a cryptic message, Sarutobi still decided to reach for the sword's handle only for this supposed inanimate object's handle to sprout ravenous spikes, lashing out towards the unknown hand - nearly slicing through the flesh of the Hokage in the process. "W-What the hell?" He stumbled backwards, shocked by this sudden movement and velocity from a simple sword.

"Oh, I'm sorry, what happened? Surely an inanimate object didn't try and defend itself, did it?" Naruto mocked, showing his immaturity and frustration. "Like I said, Jiji, I wouldn't have said what I did without a reason to. She's alive and right now, she's attached to me."

"What do you mean by attached?"

"Not physically….well, at least I don't _think _physically, I can't really see if she is or not." He remarked, scratching his cheek in confusion. "But, it seems like she doesn't want anyone to wield her except for me, one of the nurses tried to take her away from me and she fought back, just like she did against you."

"You keep saying she, Naruto. Is there a reason for that?" Hiruzen asked,

"When we talked she sounded very feminine - she also told me her name, it's Samehada," Naruto answered, scrapping his fingertips against the scaly exterior of his weapon illustrating a pulse.

Sarutobi sat silent for a moment, surveying all the information given to him before coming to his own conclusion. "...Naruto, it seems that I was a bit too critical about your earlier statement, this weapon surely has an ability for self preservation. However, I'm still a bit on the fence with believing that it can _talk_."

Naruto sighed but nodded nonetheless. "...I guess that's all I can ask for right now, hell, even I don't want to believe she can talk either." He murmured, placing Samehada on his back as the scales latch onto his clothing. "So, what's gonna happen now?"

"Well, I suppose you can keep this sword for now, not like we could take it off of you if we tried. However I'd like for you to not carry it around with you for some time, people might grow curious why a blind boy is wielding such a strange looking weapon." Sarutobi stated as Naruto agreed with a simple nod. "Other than that, I recommend going home and resting because by tomorrow you'll be ran into the ground."

"Hmmm? By whom?" Naruto questioned, scratching the back of his head as he tried to recall if he had any prior arrangements made tomorrow. With all of today's twists and turns he'd be surprised if he could remember tomorrow's date let alone what's happening on that date.

"Gai-sensei, of course. Have you already forgotten?"

"Oh yeah, that's tomorrow!" Naruto cheered, "I'm not too worried about it, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Oh, you have no idea Naruto-kun, no idea at all."

**-Tomorrow Morning: Training ground #7-**

"Who the hell wakes up at this dreadful time?" Said the dreary visage of Naruto Uzumaki standing in the authorized Training ground #7, bags hanging heavily from his eyes. From having a dreadful night when he was at the hospital to having to wake up at the crack of dawn today, Naruto has been losing sleep left and right and now he's got to train along side his sleep deprivation, goodie.

"You better get used to it, kid. This is gonna be your life for the coming years." Asuma chuckled, lighting his first cigarette of the morning.

"Asuma-sensei? What are you doing here? I thought this was Gai-sensei's training," Naruto asked only to sense another's presence appear within the training grounds.

"Well, we'd like to see how well you flourish under his tutelage," the drowning, bored tones of Kakashi Hatake spoke up, his nose now deep in one of his smutty adult erotica.

"You mean you want to watch me fail, right Kakashi?" Naruto chuckled, partly because he expected something like this to happen and also the idea of what exactly this training might intel filled him with glee.

"That's such a pessimistic outlook to have. We merely wish to study your strengths and weakness, it'll help us in our training sessions as well as help you in the long run." Kakashi explained, though apart of Naruto felt like it was really a half assed excuse to still watch him fail.

"Enough talk! Let's rock!" The boisterous voice of one Mito Gai yelled as he appeared in a puff of smoke, striking a magnificent pose before his trainee and colleagues. "Naruto Uzumaki, are you prepared for the most taxing, painful and rewarding training session of your young life?! Well, are you?!"

"...Ummm, taxing, painful and rewarding?" He questioned, unnerved by those three choice words Gai decided to us.

"Yes, there is no reward without pain and you cannot feel pain unless you tax your body to it's very limits! Today is your test to determine whether or not I will take you as a student, but I'm going to treat it as if you were my number 1 pupil! Now, for starters I want you to put these on," Gai trumpeted, his energetic and vibrant voice almost painful to Naruto's sleep deprived brain. Gai then produced four individual training weights. "They're 100 pound weights, latch them onto your ankles and wrists,"

"100 pounds?! Are you insane?" Naruto yelled as the idea of wearing 100 pound weights on each limb seemed practically impossible.

"No, I'm youthful!" Gai fired back but soon his expression grew serious along with his tone."If you're going to be my pupil you must be able to keep up with me and my other student, Lee. If you can't do that, then I'm afraid this lesson ends here,"

Naruto was surprised to she sudden shift into a serious tone by such an unorthodox individual. "...No, I can do it - I know I can!"

But soon, the seriousness of Gai faded and in it's place returned the man we have all come to love. "That's the spirit!" He yelled once more, tossing the weights at Naruto who reluctantly caught them, shocked by their heft.

"Sweet gods, these things are heavy!" He whimpered, slowly but surely placing the weights on. "O-Okay, now what?"

"Now we'll start our traditional warm ups!" Gai began, "Naruto, do 200 squats in under 2 minutes!" Gai demanded, demonstrating one for his pupil before ushering him to do the same.

"What?! 200 freaking squats?! That's impossib-"

"You're being timed Naruto! You have 1 minute and 56 seconds left!" And soon the training began, the simple squats warm-up paling in comparison to what was awaiting Naruto in the hours to come. Full on sprints around the village, insane amounts of push - ups and sit - ups, taijutsu sparring - Mito Gai put his new little pupil through the ringer today - leaving Naruto in a pool of his own sweat and possibly tears. This training regimen was, for lack of a better word, awful - he felt like his bones were about to snap at any moment, his muscles were practically ripped off the bone, and he could barely stand by the end of the day. However, thankfully, the day did come to an end and while the sun was dipping behind the horizon line, Gai had a decision to make regarding his new recruit.

Gai, now standing in the middle of the training ground with his head held high yelled for his pupil, "Naruto!"

"Y-Yes, Gai-sensei?" Asked Naruto, willing himself to his feet.

"You showed tremendous heart today, I won't lie! Next to myself and Lee I've never seen someone put so much effort into their first day of training, if you keep this up then I'd be honored to call you my pupil!" Gai stated proudly,

"D-Does that mean…."

"Hai! Naruto Uzumaki, you are now going to me Mito Gai's second pupil!" Gai yelled, a single, manly tear leaving his eye.

"Yes! ARGH!" Naruto jumped for joy, only to come back down in a ball of pain and misery. Maybe he should rethink this whole 'training with Gai-sensei' thing.

"I'm glad to see you have so much enthusiasm, Naruto! I hope tomorrow you'll have the same amount of youthfulness!" He stated with feeling,

"W-Wait, tomorrow? What do you mean?" Naruto asked, cocking his brow.

"Our training will continue tomorrow afternoon, squirt. This time it'll be my turn teaching you the ropes." Asuma chimed in, flicking away the last cig in his pack for the day.

"Then the next day will be my turn, I hope you're prepared." Kakashi chimed in,

"Then it'll cycle back to me! Where we'll be spending the day training just like today but at twice the speed! Yosh!"

"_Holy shit, what the hell did I get myself into?!"_

**\- Konoha's Interrogation -**

Once again we delve into the dark cell of Kisame, who is know face to face with another uninvited guest but this one was a bit more….undesirable. Blood dripped from the shark man's open wounds as another origami Shuriken found it's way embeded into his torso as his guest, a blue haired young woman with a stoic expression, began to form another with thought alone. "I knew…..Pein would sent someone to….deal with me eventually," He wheezed, feeling his body slowly turning on him.

"Did you believe we'd let you live to spill our secrets?" She questioned numbly, her cold, dead eyes peering into his beady ones with contempt and hatred for what he could have done to her and her master's plan for this world.

"Heh, no - no I didn't," he chuckled, a trickle of blood now leaving his mouth. "Ya know…..I-I never thought I'd die like this. I thought I'd g-go out on my feet, fighting to the bitter end….l-like the stubborn bastard I….am." Another smirk appeared on his features as he looked his foe in the eyes one final time. "Konan, if you could, could you please...tell Pein something for me,"

"What?"

"...He can go fuc-" With Kisame's final words, the a singular piece of paper shaped as a massive needle penetrated his head, silencing him once and for all.

"Impotent fool, your hubris and eagerness was your downfall. In the end, I have little pity for people like you," she made her piece before dissolving into paper, escaping through the singular opening of Kisame's cell, a small, window gape reinforced with metallic bars - leaving behind the bloody remains of the once great swordsmen known as Kisame Hoshigaki.

**Thank you all for being so patient, I know a lot of people thought I abandoned this one but I consider this one a passion project of mine so I refuse to simply just abandon it. Sadly, that still doesn't mean that I can do consistent updates what with college and work, but any and all fans of this fanfic, I won't be abandoning it anytime soon. Please review and PM me if you have any questions, thank you all and have a wonderful day!**


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